We Are Both to Blame
by TheSparklingK
Summary: Angst Stelena. Elena became a vampire on the Lockwood Masquerade Ball. Stefan and Elena break-up once Elena chooses Damon over Stefan. Stefan has a new girl in his life and Elena is confused about her feelings. Elena's POV  mostly.
1. Stefan's Changes

**PLEASE READ! : NO STELENA FANS SHOULD READ THIS FIC UNLESS THEY ARE OPEN MINDED TO DELENA.  
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**SO, moving on. This fic is set after Elena went to see Katherine and asked her all those questions in episode 9. I suggest you cut out episode 8 and 10 and 11 (you'll understand **

**why once you start reading the fic), because in the Masquerade episode, supposedly for this fic, Elena becomes a vampire after Katherine kills her and is contained, the same way it **

**happened in the episode. Damon is there and gives Elena blood to try to heal her wounds, but ends up turning her into a vampire. Meanwhile, Stefan is helping Caroline contain the **

**Tyler-werewolf situation. And now, Stefan's busy helping Caroline and is NOT there for Elena when she eventually prays on a innocent victim and completes her transformation. **

**Damon is there for her, after she turns, when she finds out what Klaus' purpose was from Katherine, basically there for her for everything. And all that Stefan does is give her his **

**ring, to protect her from the sun. So, she and Damon bond and get together...and she breaks up with Stefan for good, because she loves Damon. And I'll introduce a new girl for **

**Stefan. SO, Delena and AGHAST-Stelena.**

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"Stefan?" I called as I walked inside the boarding house. I knew that Damon was out as soon as I stepped inside the house. I could feel Stefan's cologne in the air...and something else

mixed with it. Someone else, to be more specific.

Then, I heard the sounds coming from upstairs, and focused on them, to make sense of what was happening. I knew I had dumped Stefan...but that was about two days ago. And from

the sounds I could hear coming from his room...he had a girl in?

I finally decide, after hearing a lot of grunting from upstairs, from Stefan's part only, to make sure he wasn't fighting someone, instead of with someone.

I pushed open the door to his room shamelessly, without a knock or a warning, hoping to see him struggling with someone on the floor and needing help. What I saw was

Stefan...snuggling with someone. Against the wall. The girl's back was pressed against the wall...and Stefan was with his back to me, making love to her. Or having sex with her, since

making love is when you have more relationship and commitment to someone.

She looked my way and tapped Stefan's shoulder lightly and nodded briefly in my direction, causing Stefan to look at me, angrily for my interrupting him. I half expected his expression to

soften, because he probably expected Damon but I was shocked when it didn't. He still looked angry; then again, after I dumped him, like right after I dumped him, I went and fucked

Damon for two whole hours. And he probably heard that. But still...I thought I had made it right with him.

He was walking toward me now and when he came face to face with me, I couldn't help but to smile at him. He didn't look angry and I thought it was a good sign; he looked totally

expressionless.

"Give me my ring back." Stefan said coldly, staring at me in a way I never thought he would.

"But...without it, I can't go out in the sun." I said, looking up at him, clutching the ring to my finger and pleading with my eyes. He didn't respond to it in anyway. He still looked

expressionlessly back at me.

"Whatever." He said shrugging, as if he didn't mind my burning in the sun. "It's mine and I want it back. Give it to me." Now, his eyes changed, anger and annoyance behind them.

"But..." I said, a bit too shocked to move. Then, he interrupted me.

"Give it to me, Elena. It's mine and I want it back. I don't want it to protect you anymore. Give me my ring." Stefan said this to me fiercely, looking at me in the eyes, like he always did

when he was serious.

Finally, with a resigned sigh I pulled out the ring absentmindedly and glanced at the girl. I pulled it inside his hand and looked up at him.

"Are you sure _she_ is not going to find this a bit weird?" I examined her as I said this; her shirt, a plaid shirt that I _knew_ belonged to Stefan, was halfway open, enough that I could see her

bra. She had blond hair that was spilling over the shirt and was messy looking. It was the same length as Lexi's, Stefan's friend's hair's used to be.

"No, she won't mind this. She knows about me." The way Stefan said this to me, the way his tone sounded to me, seemed like he thought I was so stupid not to have thought about this.

Not to have thought that he wouldn't bring her in carelessly, and expose himself, having a discussion with me in front of her unless she was...like him.

She was looking at me; she looked...almost smug. And that made me feel horrible. Made me want to wrap my arms around Stefan and beg him to come back.

_But...I didn't because...I have Damon. And because he was the one who protected me from Katherine when Stefan wasn't paying attention to me. He was too busy helping Caroline, he had said. _

_Taking Bonnie to the hospital to make sure she was okay, helping Caroline with Tyler's werewolf issue, trying to locate Klaus...meanwhile, I was turning into a vampire on the Lockwood Masquerade _

_Ball, because Katherine had attempted to kill me. And Damon gave me blood to save me, but it was too late. So...I turned. And now...I'm scared for the people I love. I'm scared for Damon, who _

_Klaus will haunt forever like he did to Katherine, and Trevor and Rose...because he turned me into a vampire. I just wish...I just wish I could make another doppelganger. But I can't. Because...I'm _

_a vampire, and Isobel is a vampire and there is just...no one else. And we're all going to die for this. For this sacrifice. I'll die because of what I am, Damon will die for what he did, and Bonnie, _

_Caroline, Tyler...will die for nothing. And I just wish Stefan would hold me to make it all go away. _

_I...hope Damon doesn't read this._

_

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_

I opened my eyes to find the sunlight inside the room, coming in through the open curtain and a sleeping Damon next to me. I smiled and reached to brush his shoulder, his collar bone, his

neck. I kissed his shoulder, adoringly, and he stirred and turned to look at me, glancing at me and smiling sleepily.

"Morning." I said, and moved closer to him, wrapping my arms around his shoulder and leaning in to kiss his lips. I felt a stab of pain on my arm and flinched away, clutching it to me,

remembering about returning Stefan's ring to him last night.

Damon was sitting up, leaning on his elbow and studying my face sleepily, through narrowed eyes.

"Where is your ring?" He asked me.

"I gave it back to Stefan yesterday. I totally forgot." I said to Damon and started to shake the sheets frantically as I started to remember something else I had forgotten. Where the hell

did I put my diary last night?

"Elena...Elena." Damon called me, jumping off the bed. "Elena, what are you doing?"

"My diary..." I whispered, looking under the bed, then coming up again to shake the sheets. "I don't know where it is. I had it last night. I was writing in it when I fell asleep. I can't find it."

I ran to the other side of the room, looking for it around the room frantically.

"Elena." Damon called me, but I was too desperate to keep him from reading it to pay attention.

"What?" I said, still flying around the room. I closed the curtains and quickly kept on looking.

"Elena, stop it." I didn't even answer him. I needed to find it. "Elena, your diary is here."

I finally stopped and looked up and let out a breathless, relieved little laugh. I flew to Damon and wrapped my arms around him, while grabbing my diary and clutching it tightly to myself,

burying my face in his chest, while my breathing slowed.

Finally I pulled away to look at him, and was happy to see him smiling, knowing he didn't suspect of my desperation to find my diary.

"I have to go out and get you a new ring. I'll have Bonnie make one for you." Damon said, already moving to the door and brushing his finger tips on my cheek when he passed me and

winking as he left.

I sighed hugely once I heard him close the door and sat on the chair in the corner. I opened my diary and read over yesterday's entry.

_Dear Diary, I caught Stefan with a girl in his room. And...he asked me for his ring back. When I broke up with him, told him that I loved Damon, not him, I had wanted to give him his ring, but he _

_looked so upset and I wanted to prove to myself that I didn't want him anymore. Now I'm not so sure. I just came out of his bedroom. I'm sitting in Damon's bed and crying. I miss Stefan. His _

_arms around me, his eyes._

_And...when he looked at me, and spoke to me that way in his room, talking to me like I was stupid and giving me that glare, so angry...and the smug look on the girl's face when she looked at _

_me...it made me feel horrible and useless. Made me want to have Stefan's arms around me, made me want to wrap my arms around him and beg him to come back._

_But...I didn't because...I have Damon. And because he was the one who protected me from Katherine when Stefan wasn't paying attention to me. He was too busy helping Caroline, he had said. _

_Taking Bonnie to the hospital to make sure she was okay, helping Caroline with Tyler's werewolf issue, trying to locate Klaus...meanwhile, I was turning into a vampire on the Lockwood Masquerade _

_Ball, because Katherine had attempted to kill me. And Damon gave me blood to save me, but it was too late. So...I turned. And now...I'm scared for the people I love. I'm scared for Damon, who _

_Klaus will haunt forever like he did to Katherine, and Trevor and Rose...because he turned me into a vampire. I just wish...I just wish I could make another doppelganger. But I can't. Because...I'm _

_a vampire, and Isobel is a vampire and there is just...no one else. And we're all going to die for this. For this sacrifice. I'll die because of what I am, Damon will die for what he did, and Bonnie, _

_Caroline, Tyler...will die for nothing. And I just wish Stefan would hold me to make it all go away. _

_I...hope Damon doesn't read this._

I closed my diary and looked at it as I felt the tears start to roll down my face. I lifted my head to the wall across the room, looked at the door and threw my diary against the wall hard,

sobbing once it was out of my hands. I just sobbed for a long time, rocking myself back and forth on the chair.

Finally, I got up and walked to the bathroom. I looked at my face in the mirror above the sink. My face looked worn out, like I had a bad night of sleep and my nose was all red from the

crying. I needed a shower and some sleep and I would be okay.

I walked outside the bathroom and got my diary, tucked it under my arm, got my favorite pajamas and went into the bathroom, locking the door behind me.

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**This is the first chapter of the fic. I hope you guys like it, and any questions about the story, feel free to comment asking. I also would like to know how you feel about it being on **

**Elena's POV. I love it because, even as a vampire I think Elena is very, very emotional. Or would be. Anyway, I also love, love diary entries. Please, comment and tell me what you **

**think.**


	2. Arriane

**So, here is the second chapter. It's not as good as the first. Here, I'll introduce Stefan's new girlfriend. It's a bit of a crossover, since she is from another book. This book wasn't in the books allowed for stories, but even so, she is not exactly the focus of this fic. Which is why this is not a crossover. If you want to know more about her, PM me.**

**The response below is to a review I got on the last chapter and decided to reply here just for people who have the same doubt and to answer the person who asked it to me. She doesn't allow everyone to PM, so I thought this was the best way to answer her and show that I read her review. She wanted to know why I put the story under Stelena if it was an angst Stelena story.**

** -ButterflyFeelings (I wanted to reply to your review, but I couldn't PM you, so if you see this chapter, you'll know I read your review) The reason why I put the story under Stelena, not Delena is because it is not focused on Delena. There are parts with Delena, of course, but like if someone makes a angst Delena video, just because it's angst, does that mean it's not Delena? I**

**I hope ButterflyFeeling reads this and that it answers her question properly. And you yours too, if you were wondering about that as well. Enjoy the chapter and Bye! ;)  
**

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I walked out of the room, all ready to go out. It was nighttime and after spending the afternoon indoors, I was so willing to go out. Then I heard voices downstairs. Laughter.

I came to the top of the stairs and looked down. I saw Stefan, sitting next to that girl, and laughing.

He had his feet on the coffee table and the girl was sitting across from him, her feet on top of his legs. They were laughing and I couldn't figure out what they were laughing of.

Then, Damon crossed the doorway. He stopped when he saw them on the couch.

"Hi, Damon." Stefan said, pressing his lips not to laugh. The girl giggled and stood up, moving to Damon. Then Stefan stood up.

"Um, Damon, this is Arriane. Arriane, this is my brother, Damon." He was standing behind her, and his arm was around her waist.

"Hi." She said, grinning at Damon. "I've heard a _lot_ about you."

Slowly, Damon smiled, looking a little puzzled. Then he looked up, straight at me. He looked back at her and took her hand, kissing it slowly as he had done to me. Stefan didn't seem to mind it at all.

"It's nice to meet you." Damon said, looking at her. Then his eyes flickered to Stefan. I prayed he wouldn't complain about the ring. He had no right to ask him for it, and neither did I.

"Anyway, I'm going out with Elena." He said, watching Stefan's face carefully.

"Okay."

"Um...okay." Damon said, looking puzzled again, examining Arriane as she smiled at Stefan.

"Anyway, I'll just go and get Elena. She's making me late." He looked up at me and motioned for me to come downstairs.

I watched Stefan and Arriane, wearily from where I stood. I didn't want to cause a scene. They weren't looking at me. They were...kissing. I swallowed and Damon followed my gaze, then nodded at me to reassure me that it was okay to be seen together. I had noticed the way Stefan seemed strangely normal and expressionless when Damon mentioned my name.

I walked down the stairs and into Damon's arms. He kissed me and it made me feel amazing, like it always did when he kissed me.

Stefan and Arriane were just holding each other, staring at something on top of the stairs dreamily. I wanted to look at that spot, even though I knew there was nothing to look at.

Damon and I pulled away from each other and walked out the door, saying goodbye to Stefan and Arriane briefly.

* * *

Damon and I walked inside the Grill at exactly 8pm. Caroline was there with Matt and Tyler. Bonnie was playing pool with Jeremy, Luka was watching them from a table, looking jealous. I smirked.

Damon caught my smirk and followed my gaze to Luka and smirked too. Bonnie and Jeremy, Caroline and Matt back together...Tyler making new friends (meaning Caroline), who would help him with his problems...things were going right for them.

But even though everything was okay for my friends, I wasn't satisfied. I was supposed to be happy, what with Stefan being now totally moved on, and Damon and me being together...but there was still Klaus, who would be after us. After Damon and me, mostly. At least I knew Stefan would be safe. If there was one good thing about his not being supportive of me or saving me, it was that he could get away. That he hadn't done anything wrong. That also meant that Damon was in danger.

But...somehow, that wasn't what I was worried about. I was worried about Stefan. But he was fine, very clearly. And...I think I am jealous.

I looked at Damon, who was sitting across from me now.

"Damon." I said and he looked up.

"Yeah?"

"What do you think of that girl, Arriane?"

"I think it's a bit strange for Stefan to be in another relationship so quickly. I thought he would have to recover from you. But still...it's good that he's already moved on, and that he seems okay with it."

"But I heard a heartbeat in there today. It wasn't me, wasn't you, obviously wasn't Stefan, so..."

"Yeah, I think Arriane is human. Mostly." He said, shrugging.

"What do you mean, mostly?" I said, a bit harshly.

He looked up. He looked startled at first, then hurt. Then, he put his poker face on and laughed.

"Well...sooner or later, if Stefan wants her, he'll turn her. Simple. It happened to you. Why couldn't it happen to her?" He looked at me, and his eyes looked wild, angry. The way Stefan's had when he had asked for his ring back.

I got up from my chair and ran out the back door of the restaurant. I needed some air and tears were going to fall soon. I sat there in the dark, and got my diary out of my purse. I had to talk to someone, and Caroline was risky because Damon was here. And...Bonnie wanted distance from me. She didn't say it, but I could see it in her face. She hadn't brushed me off, like she had done to Caroline, but I knew it was hard for her to accept what I was. And with Caroline, she seemed okay with it. Maybe Caroline had proved to be trustworthy. And I hadn't.

_Dear Diary, I don't know how to write what I'm feeling. There's too much; all at once._

_Maybe I should start with Damon. I think he is upset with me. He had started opening up, talking to me, helping me through everything. And now that we're together, I'm pulling him away. I was upset about Stefan and I treated Damon poorly. And he put his poker face on, after letting me see that he was hurt and acted like a total jerk. But I think maybe I deserved it. And he's probably drinking now, trying to forget that he cares. That's not what I meant to do._

_And...Stefan. Stefan seems totally moved on from me. He is with that girl I saw in his room yesterday. Her name is Arriane. I saw him laughing with her today. Laughing, laughing a lot. He had never really laughed like that with me. I had only seen him laughing like that with Lexi. And it had taken centuries of friendship to do that._

_But...he couldn't have known her for long. She seemed younger than me and I'm pretty sure she is human. I could hear her heart beating in the living room today, when Damon and I were going out. _

_I think...I think I'm jealous._

I pulled the pen away from the paper and stared at that last line in the paper. Could I really be jealous of Stefan just because he was happy, and he was enjoying himself, and because I didn't have him anymore? Did I have the right to still want him, after what I had done to him? After what I had done to Damon?

I shouldn't feel like this. I should love Damon and only Damon, no Stefan. Because Stefan clearly didn't want me anymore. And I didn't want him, I thought fiercely, trying to convince myself of it.

* * *

I walked back inside the Grill, my diary safely inside my purse and started scanning the crowds for Damon. I found him playing pool. With Bonnie, Jeremy, Stefan and...Arriane.

She was giggling and I could feel her mind. She was happy and euphoric. Stefan was smiling. Damon was licking his lips, looking satisfied. Even Bonnie and Jeremy looked comfortable around Damon and Stefan.

"Caroline!" Stefan shouted, causing Caroline to look up at him and smile, waving.

Then she ran to the table to play. Tyler and Matt followed.

Then everyone was playing and laughing and none of them was noticing me, standing alone, watching everyone having fun.

I could see how they were playing now; Damon, Stefan, Caroline on one team, Matt, Tyler, Jeremy, Arriane and Bonnie in another. Stefan was trying to convince Arriane to play on his team.

Damon motioned to a waitress to bring shots. I sat down and just watched, feeling numb.

They did the shots, all of them laughing, like a wild group of teenagers. Most of them really were what they seemed. But Caroline, Damon and Stefan weren't and neither was I. We didn't belong here and yet, we were here pretending that we did.

All of a sudden, I saw a golden light around the pool table. It was coming from Arriane, she was in Stefan's arms, leaning against his chest. And there really was a golden light coming out of her. Stefan and Damon didn't seem to see it. I watched for few more minutes, then stood up.

I walked outside, deciding to go home. It wasn't doing me any good to stay here. I made my way to my house, knowing Jenna would be there and would listen to part of what I could tell her. I had to talk to someone.

I could still hear them as I made my way down the street to flag a cab. They were laughing and there was some groaning from the ones who were losing.

Stefan's team was winning as I sat inside the cab and just cried. He was taking everything from me.

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**So, I really think this chapter kind of sucked. NO PUN INTENDED as vampires go.**

**Anyway, I hope you guys liked this chapter even though I didn't really like it myself. Again, any questions comment asking, I don't mind answering anything.**


	3. Damon

**You can very much see how very not creative I am with the chapter names. So out of inspiration. I'm hoping I'll improve. I spent what seems like centuries trying to think of a good one. When I couldn't I settled for the most obvious one. Anyway, please keep reviewing. I love feedback.**

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I got up slowly from the bed and went inside the bathroom. I opened the door to Jeremy's room slowly and smiled when I saw him sleeping in his bed. I closed the door and locked it.

I stood in front of the mirror, just staring at myself. I felt much better than I had yesterday and that was good. I would make things right today. I would apologize to Damon, make some small talk with Arriane, because despite the fact that she annoyed me, I knew she probably was a good person underneath. I also wanted to call Bonnie, and try to make it better between us.

I brushed my teeth, then my hair. It still didn't look refreshed enough. Maybe a shower would do.

I turned on the cold water and just stayed. I washed my hair for a long time, and just soaked.

Once I got out, I painted my toenails pink and got dressed. I picked up my phone from the bedside table. I dialed Damon's number.

"Hello." I heard Damon's sleepy voice on the phone and smiled.

"Hi. Damon, it's Elena." I said, biting my lip. "I was wondering if you would like to have breakfast together."

"Breakfast?" He said, a bit doubtful.

"Yes. I...wanted to talk about my cattittude last night."

"Your what?" Damon asked, puzzled now.

"Cattittude. It's an old Caroline vocabulary word for being mean, and annoying and also for uncalled for cattiness." I said, and let out a little laugh.

"Okay. Well, where are you? I could pick you up."

"I am at my house."

"I'll come by soon, okay?"

"Yeah. Bye."

"Bye." I closed my phone and smiled. I would work it through with Damon because that's what couples do when they have issues. I smiled and walked breezily outside my room, transformed.

I ran into Aunt Jenna in the kitchen. "Morning, Aunt Jenna." I said happily, smiling at her.

"Someone is happy today." Aunt Jenna said, smiling back at me.

"Yah. I'm meeting Damon for breakfast. I'm really looking forward to it."

"Yeah, right. We talked about him last night...but you were mostly worried about Stefan. Is he okay?"

"Yeah, he's fine. He's got a new girlfriend and stuff." I said, and I thought it sounded a bit too breezy to say it like that.

Aunt Jenna looked at me, studying my face. "Don't say. Is she a nice girl though?"

"Yeah, she's okay, I think. Her name is Arriane. I don't really know her." I said and the end came out a bit bitter. Aunt Jenna noticed.

"And you're okay with it?" She asked, studying my face again. "You didn't really seem okay with it last night. You thought she was going to take them from you. Stefan, and Damon and Caroline, and Bonnie..." She trailed off, looking at me.

"Yeah, well, that's past. I don't feel that way anymore. She was just being nice to them and I was being a bit paranoid or something." I said, deciding that I couldn't keep going with this conversation anymore.

Then Jeremy came down the stairs and his hair was sticking out in all the directions. I pressed my lips, so I wouldn't laugh.

"Morning." Aunt Jenna said and then turned to Jeremy, and his hair. "You had better do something about your hair. I'm not letting you of the house like that."

I laughed and said "Aunt Jenna? Can you get me the hair brush? I'll help Jeremy sort it out." I held him with his back to me and started touching his hair.

"So, did you have fun last night?" I asked him, trying to sound nonchalant.

"Yeah. We were playing pool. It was really random." He said.

"What was random?" I asked him, trying to pull a side of his hair down.

"Um…we were playing with Damon…and Stefan. And Bonnie seemed comfortable. She doesn't like to hang out with any vampires but you and Caroline. But she seemed so comfortable. And that girl Arriane, she's really cool." Then he turned to look at me.

"You are okay with the fact that I want to be friends with her, right?"

Before I could answer, the door bell rang. Jeremy jumped, startled.

"It's Damon. I have to go. See you later, Jer." I said, dropping a quick kiss on his cheek and running to the door, happy not to have to answer Jeremy's question.

* * *

I watched Damon filling his milkshake with whiskey and laughed. He glanced up at me and then went back to what he was doing. We were having breakfast in a cafe in town and he was already drinking.

"Really? You do know that is a milkshake and that it's 10AM and a bit early for drinking?" I grinned at him when he shrugged, then smiled and took a sip of my cappuccino.

"You, Elena, know very well that drinking does not need a timing when you're dead." He said, grinning wickedly at me and pulling some whiskey on my cappuccino. I stiffened at the smell and then realized what he was doing to my perfect no-whiskey, tasty cappuccino. I was shocked.

"NO!" I said, laughing and trying to pull his hand away from my breakfast, making him laugh and causing the milkshake to fall and drop all over our table. We jumped up to avoid it from falling on our clothes and wrapped our arms around each other, hugging and laughing as a waitress came and started cleaning the mess. The other clients were looking at us, looking angry. I laughed, nodding at Damon to look at them.

He laughed and kissed me. I kissed him back, tasting the chocolate from his milkshake in his lips.

"You taste like chocolate." I said, licking my lips and then leaning in to kiss him again.

"Let's go to the boarding house so I can find out what _you_ taste like." He said, grinning at me, devilish and beautiful.

He threw cash on the table and we ran quickly to get to his car.

* * *

We stumbled inside his room, and started ripping each others' clothes out of the way.

I giggled, feeling thrilled as he kissed my neck, pushing me into his bed. I helped him take my shirt off, and unbuttoned his, giggling. All my feelings of longing for Stefan, forgotten. Maybe we could even party with him and Arriane tonight.

"Damon..." I said, breathlessly with a groan as Damon kissed my neck again and again. I groaned.

"Damon..." I said, pushing him away, weakly.

"What?" He whispered, panting slightly.

"Maybe...we could go double-dating...with Stefan and Arriane." I said, watching his face, and panting.

"Yeah. Maybe. It could be fun." He said and then felt his fangs crossing the skin on my neck.

I held his back tightly against me and closed my eyes, smiling.

* * *

An hour after Damon and I had been together in his bed, I was in the shower. Again. It was so hot and after all the fun, my skin had been prickling and I felt sweaty. When I told Damon that, he sniffed me and said I still smelled wonderful to him. I had laughed and gone to the bathroom, daring him to follow me and disappointed when he didn't.

"So, do you want to come and help me in the shower?" I shouted, opening the curtain and smiling.

"Yeah, be there in a second. Just want to ask Stefan about the double-date thing." Damon said and I heard the door closing. I turned off the shower and leaned against the wall.

I wanted Stefan and me to at least be friends and I really wanted to get to know Arriane.

I stood still to listen, focusing on Damon's footsteps. Stefan was downstairs, and he was drinking.

"Hi, Stef." I heard Damon say and I could practically see him smiling in my head. I bit my lip and smiled.

"Hi, Damon." Stefan said. He sounded cheerful. I smiled again.

"So, Elena and I were thinking that maybe you and Arriane could go double-dating with us." I heard Damon say, hesitantly.

I stood still, holding my breath, waiting for Stefan's answer expectantly.

"Yeah, sure." He said coolly. "Um, Arriane is going to Georgia, go back to her school. I'll see if she can make it tonight though." Stefan seemed so cool about everything. I knew he was reasonable, but he seemed coolly reasonable, not brooding reasonable. I smiled. Maybe this girl, Arriane, was really good for him.

I heard Damon's footsteps coming upstairs and saw him cross the doorway in the bathroom, getting in the shower and turning the water on again. I just laughed and kissed him, relaxing.

* * *

Damon and I were laying in his bed and snuggling, while we watched the night fill the sky in the window above us. We were just comfortable doing this. Sometimes we kissed each other and whispered some nonsense, breezy and happy.

After shower we had just decided to lay here, doing nothing, all afternoon. Because there was really nothing better to do.

I kissed Damon's lips carefully as he pushed me further into the bed. I had been meaning to kiss him, not do this now.

"Let's get dressed. I want to see if we'll make that double-date tonight." I said, trying to pull away and then drawing a line on Damon's chest. He pulled my face to his and kissed me, for a while.

I pulled away, smiling at him. "Come on, don't distract me." I said, getting off him and off the bed. "I really want to make everything right between us again."

Damon stood on his elbow and looked at me.

"Was it ever really right between us before?" He asked me and I felt as if his blue eyes were making holes on my skin. And then, when I started thinking about what he said, I wondered.

"I don't know." I said finally. "But if you had the chance to make it right, wouldn't you take it?" I said and watched his face, trying to see through. He got up and walked toward me, leaning in to kiss me.

"Get ready." He said bossily and smiled on a typical Damon fashion. I went to the bathroom and started to get ready.

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**I hope you guys like this chapter. I'm taking things slowly, but I'm already working on the next chapter. Anyway, please review! Makes me happier!**


	4. The Double Date

**This chapter is going to be a bit different from the other two. In this there's a change from Elena's POV to Stefan's and Damon's as well.**

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* * *

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Stefan

Damon and Elena were standing next to each other. Arriane was standing next to me and we were holding hands. Damon and Elena weren't touching.

I could tell the two of them were nervous about this. Because Elena had dumped me about three days ago and everything.

Arriane reached to my face and stood on tip toes, to kiss me. She looked beautiful tonight. She was wearing a black mini dress and had her eye liner and mascara on. She was using dark blue ripped jeans and black boots, beneath the dress.

I grinned at her and laughed, pulling her close to me and wrapping my arms around her tiny waist. She smiled at me, and I felt the wonderful smell of her hair, vanilla, that was spilling over my shoulder.

"So, Damon." I said, and he looked up at me. "Where are we going tonight?"

"We could play some pool at the Grill, then switch dates and have some bonding time."

Elena looked at him. "Why don't we do it like this?" She said. "We go to the Grill, play some pool...then Arriane and I have some girl-time, while you and Stefan do some bonding. Then we meet up back at the Grill and switch dates." She smiled brightly at Damon and he nodded at her.

"That seems like a fairly good plan..." Damon said and then his eyes flickered to me and Arriane. "What do you guys think?" He asked, nonchalant.

I turned to Arriane. "What do you think?"

"I think that's okay." She said and smiled at me, then at Damon and Elena. Damon smiled back at her and Elena just stared.

"Cool. Then we can just get to the Grill and play some pool. You know, with Caroline and Matt or something." I said, trying to match Damon's nonchalant tone.

* * *

Elena

"Yeah, totally." I said and smiled. I knew it seemed a bit forced, or maybe I was just being self-conscious about it.

Stefan, Damon and Arriane smiled politely at me. Then, we just went to our own cars. Damon and me to his, Stefan and Arriane to Stefan's car.

I wasn't exactly worried about bonding with Arriane. I was worried about my switch with Stefan. I was starting to feel like this was a bad idea.

Well, at least, you know Damon will do good, I thought to myself, trying to lighten my mood. He and Arriane will probably have a good time together. From what I can tell about Arriane so far she likes partying. So does Damon.

You know, I would think Arriane would be a much better match to someone like Damon, than to someone like Stefan. And yet, I was the one who slept in Damon's bed every night and Arriane was the one kissing Stefan in the car right now, I thought sourly.

Then I realized that Damon was looking at me, taking peeks between the road and me. I tried to put together a small smile to him.

"You look worried." He said slowly, studying my face.

"No, I'm not. It's just...you can tell it's awkward. Our situation with Stefan. And he seems so cool with it." I paused. "We were joking about it earlier, but I wish we could tell what it means. Is he cold or just changing?"

"I don't know. I think he's changing. Stefan's not cold. He's warm by nature." Damon's forehead furrowed, as he thought this.

"But he's a vampire. Vampire nature says he should be cold." I said and stopped. "Damon, do you think he turned off his humanity? You told me we could do that, if we were hurting too much over something or…someone." I said and swallowed.

Damon watched me for about five seconds, then said "I don't think so. I don't think he turned off his humanity. It's not snap-your-fingers, your humanity is off kind of thing. It takes human blood and sometimes another vampire to help you. We know Arriane is not a vampire. So unless he was hurting so much that he did it without noticing, it's impossible."

Damon's face started to change, started to look disturbed and I wondered if he felt the same way I did; Stefan turned his humanity off because of us. Then Damon laughed.

I gaped at him, wondering what he was laughing about as we parked in front of the Grill.

"His humanity's not off. He was laughing yesterday when we were playing pool; I'm sure he was really having fun."

I sighed with relief and laughed as I watched Stefan jumping out of his car with Arriane. They waved at us, walking inside the Grill. Running inside the Grill. I opened my door and laughed, just to find Damon in front of me. He pushed me against the car and kissed me. Then he pulled back and looked into my eyes.

"Just remember that you love me tonight, while you're with Stefan. I'll remember that I love you while I'm with Arriane." He said, in a serious voice. His eyes were looking intense.

"I'll remember." I whispered, touching his shoulder gently. "How could I forget?"

"Guys!" I saw Stefan and Arriane shouting from the doorway, like two teenagers. I almost laughed. They looked impatient. "Come on!" Stefan said, and went back inside, pulling Arriane with him. I heard her laughter and then Stefan's.

Damon and I laughed, running to the door. And…for a moment, I felt normal. Almost. Having a double-date. So normal. Stefan and Arriane were making it so easy and effortless. They seemed normal, like real teenagers. Impulsive, impatient, and passionate.

I tripped on my way inside and Damon grabbed me, laughing. We found Arriane and Stefan already at the pool table. Arriane was playing against Stefan. Somehow, she was winning. She was really skilled.

And then, all of a sudden, there it was again. The golden light I had seen the other day. It didn't bother me at all now, it just made me curious. I poked Damon's back.

"What?" He said, turning back and licking his lips, looking excited.

"Can you see it?" I whispered, pointing at Arriane's golden, pink glow.

Damon looked. "What is that?" He whsipered, softly.

"I was hoping you could tell me."

"I don't know what it is." He said, looking at me, bewildered.

Then we both moved to the pool table. Stefan and Arriane were looking impatient again.

"What took you so long?" Stefan asked, looking slightly annoyed.

"Nothing. Sorry we kept you waiting." Damon said sarcastically.

Stefan poked his stomach and then Damon had him in a headlock. Stefan laughed, trying to get out of it.

Arriane was looking at Stefan and Damon, she was watching them, looking interested and puzzled.

She turned to me. "Are they usually like this?" She whispered, looking between them and me.

"No. They are very different from this. Someone broke their hearts." I said, and watched her.

"Can you tell me about them? When we're alone?" She looked at me and I finally saw the color of her eyes. Blue, electric blue, a lighter shade than Damon's. Her eyes were so clear. I felt a strange pull toward her.

"Sure. I'll tell you." I said, bewildered. Then Stefan broke our moment, grabbing her waist. She giggled and I felt stab of envy and jealousy.

Only…who did I envy? Stefan for touching her like he had every right or…Arriane for having Stefan? I rubbed my forehead wearily, confusion all over, blurring everything.

* * *

Damon

I turned to look at Elena. Stefan was busy, tickling Arriane. I wanted my girl. I looked at her.

She was rubbing her forehead. I moved to her.

"Elena?" She opened her eyes and swayed, nearly falling to the floor. I wondered when she had last fed. I held her waist to keep her from falling. "Elena?" I repeated.

Her eyes opened hugely, her pupils dilated. Then she blinked and was normal. She smiled and went to the pool table, next to Arriane.

"Come on, I want to play." She said, bouncing up and down. I smiled and moved closer to her.

"Here, it's your turn." Stefan said, looking over at her.

Elena grabbed the pool cue and shot, hitting the red ball across from her. She jumped up and clapped her hands, laughing. Then she motioned to a waiter.

"Get us shots!" She shouted, jumping up and down, laughing. Stefan and Arriane were kissing, and they were making me feel a twisted kind of hunger. Suddenly, I looked at the pulsing vein on Arriane's pale neck. I could see the deep blue vein on her skin, following the course of her neck.

Stefan seemed to be licking at it on the other side of her neck. I wondered briefly how she would taste and then forced the thought out of my mind, thinking of what I had told Elena earlier. Remember that she loved me. Maybe I should try the same thing.

* * *

Stefan

Arriane and Elena were giggling loudly, calling attention of all the guys around the bar. They were looking over at them and whistling. They were either ignoring or not seeing as they were so focused on the game. They were playing against each other and Arriane was winning. She was so good.

I watched her and felt a pang of hunger. I fed from her, earlier today, after she had insisted, and cut her neck with a pink knife. I threw it out afterwards, to keep her from doing it again. I hadn't been able to resist. But…she still looked perfect, glowing and bouncing up and down, just like Elena. We had spent the afternoon indoors, together. Damon and Elena spent the afternoon indoors too. I was able to hear them, when Arriane had gone out to buy her plane ticket back to Georgia. I had gone downstairs and drained dry three full bags of blood and I was still hungry.

Then Arriane caught me downstairs. I had been so hungry and so distracted with feeding I hadn't heard her. I had been moving on to a forth blood bag, when she caught me.

She didn't look freaked out. She looked…normal. She moved to me and I pulled away, scared to hurt her.

But…she grabbed a pink knife from her pocket and made a small cut on her neck. And moved closer to me. I hadn't fed on her before that day. She pressed her neck and moved closer to me, a drop of blood on her finger. I had felt my stomach twist with hunger, before I licked it from her finger.

Then, I pressed Arriane's neck carefully with a towel and pulled her upstairs with me. Then I bit her. And fed from her. I thought I wouldn't be able to stop, but all of a sudden as I was feeding, I felt satisfied. And I pulled away, and went into the bathroom, to get her some vitamins. I had them in, for Elena, back when I fed from her.

I gave them to Arriane and she just swallowed them. Elena usually refused them and I had to insist for her to swallow them. She said that I took too little and that she had had enough with pills.

I took a lot more from Arriane, and yet she looked perfect. She wasn't paler, she didn't look nauseated. She looked perfect.

She smiled excitedly at me from the other side of the pool table, her pale skin glowing. Then she shot with her pool cue and jumped when she hit the blue ball across from her. Elena groaned and Damon laughed, wrapping his arms around her waist.

I looked at them, expecting to feel a stab of jealousy, but after a while of staring, I felt nothing. No jealousy, no hatred. Nothing. I licked my lips and glanced at Arriane. She was looking around for someone. Then she waved at that someone.

Caroline. She was alone at the door and then she moved. I saw Elijah next to her and flinched.

I poked Damon's back. "Damon." I said. He groaned in annoyance and then pulled away from Elena.

"What, buzz kill?" Damon asked and then followed my gaze to Elijah. He was moving to the pool table behind Caroline who was moving closer to Arriane. Damon gaped and so did Elena.

I moved forward and pulled Arriane behind me. I could feel her fingers on my waist and her eyes on my face.

"I think it's time you and Elena go and have your girl-time." I attempted to smile at her.

"Damon and I have to take care of something. I'll text you to explain." I expected her to protest, asking me for the truth, like Elena would have. She didn't.

Just leaned in to kiss me quickly on the cheek and pulled Elena away from the pool table. She said hi to Caroline and smiled at Elijah, dazzling.

I watched as his expressionless face changed. Then she was gone, pulling Elena away with her.

I straightened up and exhaled slowly. Damon did the same. We switched a quick glance as we watched Elena and Arriane walking out the door.

* * *

Elena

Arriane was pulling me out the door of the Grill. Almost as if she knew what was happening. But she didn't. Obviously she didn't.

And yet, one look at Stefan's face and just hearing what he said to her, she just did it. Almost as if he had compelled her. But he hadn't; I was sure of it. She looked normal, just focused, not confused or expressionless.

I wouldn't have just done what he said, with no questioning what-so-ever. I would have asked what was happening. Could Stefan already have told her about Elijah?

I watched her as she kept moving forward. She pulled a set of keys from her pocket. Then I heard a car beep and looked for it, around the parking lot.

Arriane let go of my arm and was standing in front of the car. She motioned for me to get inside. It was a cool car, but it wasn't Stefan's. It was a convertible. A silver convertible.

I sat on the passenger seat, and watched as Arriane sat on her side and started driving. She pressed a button and the ceiling started to open. Then she got her phone out.

She typed quickly. I got the number on the screen. She was texting Stefan. Then she snapped her phone shut and smiled at me.

"So, where could we go?" She asked me, cheerfully. I could tell she was worried, but that she wanted tonight to work out.

I tried to smile at her. "We could go to this park we go to here. There's nothing going on there tonight, so it'll be quiet. You wanted to know about Damon's and Stefan's past, right?"

"Yeah. I mean, Stefan told me there was a girl, Katherine, and also that you are her doppelganger."

I watched her face as she watched the road. Then she stopped the car, all of sudden.

"Do you want to drive?" She asked, smiling and already jumping out of the car, to let me drive.

I sat behind the wheel and started to drive to the park.

"So, do you know who that guy that was coming to talk to us was?" I asked, looking at her, then back to the road.

She bit her lip, her eyes turning soft and worried-looking. "No." Arriane said, sounding uncertain.

"He's not going to hurt him, right? Stefan?" She bit her lip again, and she really looked worried.

"I don't think so. I'm the one he wants. But I'm not worthy of his fight anymore. I'm a vampire now. To be used for the ritual, the doppelganger in question must be human. I'm not, because of Katherine, and because of Damon. Katherine for trying to kill me, and Damon for saving me."

"Wow." She said, and bit her lip again. "That must suck." Arriane said and then she laughed.

I pressed my lips together, trying not to. It was so dumb to laugh about the suck thing. But I couldn't help myself. I found that we were still giggling and trying to stifle it, when I parked the car and Arriane's phone rang.

She glanced at it and let out an annoyed sigh. Then she looked at me. I caught a name on the screen, B. Just B, nothing else. Strange.

"I have to take this." She said, sighing again and fidgeting with her phone. "It'll only take a minute, I promise." She jumped out of the car and went closer to the lake, finally picking up the phone.

"What the fuck?" Arriane whispered under her breath at whoever was on the other end of the line.

I decide not to eavesdrop on her phone call; if it was the other way around, I would have wanted her to do the same.

"I told you not to call me until…" She started fidgeting nervously with a necklace hanging from her neck. "No, Cam. God. What happened now?" Arriane snapped, exasperated.

"Look…no, just…I'll be back in the morning. Yes, I'll help you sort that out, as much as I hate to."

Then her face dissolved, and she laughed then grinned. "Yeah, cool. Can't wait. Got go! Bye!"

She turned around and started when she saw me. Then she smiled, a bit tightly. Her heart was beating loudly against my skull. She was frightened. Of me?

"So…want to tell me about Stefan's past?" Arriane's smile looked more normal now. I knew I looked suspicious and probably dangerous to her, so I tried to dissolve my face in a happier looking one. I smiled. "Sure." I said, licking my lips. "I'm sure you'll love it." I felt my fangs tingling with hunger and just hoped I could keep it down until we switched dates.

* * *

Stefan

After Elena and Arriane left the Grill, Elijah, Damon and I sat at a table, near the bar. Damon and Elijah ordered scotch and I asked for water. I wanted to be sober when they came back. It would be a long night, and I wanted to be thinking straight.

While Damon and Elijah discussed Elena, leaving me out of the discussion, as Elena wasn't mine anymore, I had time to finally start worrying about the part two of the double-date; the switch. I wasn't worried about Arriane and Damon; I knew those two would be just fine with each other.

I was worried about Elena and me. Even though I had no wish to rip her out of Damon's arms each time I saw him wrapping them around her, I had no idea about what she felt. And yeah, I had been blissful ever since I sneaked out of town and met Arriane in New York, but even I could tell things were awkward. I stood up.

"Do you guys need me or anything?" I asked them, already standing.

"Um, no, Stef. You can go outside to get some air, if you want." Damon said and smiled at me, tightly.

I was walking to the door, when I heard someone calling my name. I looked in Damon's direction, but realized that Elijah had been the one calling me.

"Take care of that girl. She's not what you think. If you don't watch it, someone might steal her from under your nose." He said and looked pointedly at Damon, who glared at him, fuming.

I walked outside, ignoring the part about stealing, but thinking about what he meant when he said Arriane wasn't what I thought she was.

* * *

Elena

"Anyway, Stefan and Damon started hating each other because of Katherine. She put them against each other. Then, she pretended that she died and disappeared. Stefan moved on, but Damon remained in love with her ever since." I said, and took a breath.

"So, Damon and Stefan became vampires because of her?" Arriane asked me. She looked a bit incredulous, but also bewildered.

"Yeah. She gave them blood. And, if a human dies with vampire blood in his or her's system, they come back." I smiled at her. She seemed so clueless and innocent.

Then her phone rang loudly and we both started. I caught the number on the screen without meaning to. It was Stefan.

"Stefan?" She whispered, sounding relieved, and clutching the phone to her ear.

"Hi." Stefan replied, sounding relieved himself. "It's so good to hear your voice." He paused.

"Are you okay?" He sounded worried now. "Did you and Elena make it out okay?"

"Yeah, we're fine. We're having fun. She's telling me some things about you."

"Cool." Stefan was quiet, for a about five seconds. "Can you ask Elena to drive you back? I want to see you."

"Yeah, I'll be there." She closed the phone and turned around to look at me.

"Stefan wants us to meet him at the Grill. I think they're done talking to that guy." She paused, then smiled brightly. "Who is he, anyway?"

"His name is Elijah." I said, laughing. "And he's a bit of a creep."

Arriane laughed and hopped inside the car, on the backseat. As I started the engine, I started worrying about my switch with Stefan. Arriane was looking totally blissful and relaxed on the backseat, listening to her iPod and humming softly to herself. I just wished I could switch places with her and be blissful, the way she was. I bit my lip all the way to the Grill and hoped everything would work out.

* * *

Damon

Stefan and I were standing outside the Grill, waiting for our girls. He had called Arriane to ask her to come back while I was inside talking to Elijah.

Shallow Caroline hadn't seen him before and brought him straight to us. I groaned. We should try to show her who to trust and who not to on pictures or something.

Stefan was watching me, studying my face, when a silver convertible came around the corner and parked right in front of us. His head snapped up and he studied the car.

Then Arriane and Elena hopped out of it, and Arriane ran straight to Stefan. She wrapped her arms around him and he laughed, kissing her. I watched Elena as the two of them kept kissing.

"So, did you enjoy yourself?" I asked Elena, rubbing her arms carefully, when she came closer to me. She looked up at me, her face all lit up, and smiled.

"Yeah, I had fun." She said and smiled again. "Arriane wanted to know about Stefan's past. I enjoyed myself." She stood on tip toes to kiss me, and I wrapped my arms around her.

Then, she pulled away and said "So, we need to switch. Are we going to meet back up somewhere?"

"The boardinghouse." Stefan said, looking up at her, from Arriane's face. Then his eyes moved to my face. "Are you guys okay with it?"

Both Elena and me nodded and then Arriane moved to my side, and Elena went reluctantly to Stefan's side. She was looking at me, sending me a pleading look. I nodded reassuringly at her, and took Arriane's hand.

"So, see you two back at the boardinghouse." I said, winking at Stefan and Elena. Arriane and I ran to get to my car. We didn't say, but clearly we were already playing each other.

I opened the door of the passenger seat to Arriane, and moved to the front seat, and waved at them, throwing their way one of my wicked smiles, before getting into the car and driving away.

* * *

Elena

I watched as Damon drove away from me, with Arriane, and started feeling the uneasiness that had been in the back of my mind, all the while I was with Arriane. Stefan and I were alone together.

For the first time ever, that made me worry about what could happen. Usually I saved that for Damon, but today it was Stefan the one that was standing next to me, staring expressionlessly ahead of him. Then, he turned to look at me, and just stared.

* * *

**Okay, this chapter is becoming so huge…that's why, I'll split it into two parts. I'm really sorry for this, but it's already six pages here…and I didn't want to waste your time so much. I promise to start working on part two of the double date soon. The Switch, I think it could be called. Finally something more dramatic than my so boring other chapter names.**

**And I hope you guys like the way I wrote this chapter, showing other people's side of the story as well…I just wanted to show, like the SE part and the DA part as well, and that would be impossible to do, if it was only Elena's POV. (oh, and next chapter will be written like that too) I'm still thinking on whether I should or shouldn't put Arriane's POV in it as well.**

**Okay, now I'll stop wasting your precious time. Please review, because I really would like to know what you think. Good bye. ;)  
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	5. The Switch

Damon

After we had left Stefan and Elena at the Grill, I was taking Arriane to the woods, where Stefan and I used to live when we were human. I knew she wanted to know more about him, and his past and all the stuff that had happened. Obviously, I knew Stefan had told her about us and, despite that fact that I felt better now that there was nothing for me to hide from her, her reaction (or lack of it) creeps me out. I remember sneaking Stefan's diary for the day he told Elena about us, and for what I read she was freaked out and angry, and aghast. Arriane wasn't.

I suddenly thought about that glow that was coming out of her skin, earlier today. I wondered what it was. It could be her aura. Only… human auras weren't this bright and this easy to capture. When I want to see someone's aura, I have to focus. I don't remember trying to see hers. It appeared, out of nowhere. If that's what it was.

Suddenly, I was aware of her. And of where we were. I had been so distracted in my own thoughts, I totally forgot what I was doing. I stopped the car on the edge of the road. The place where Stefan and I had turned and where I had fed from a human for the first time. I looked around. It was still like I remembered.

I got out of the car and offered my hand to Arriane, to help her get out. This wasn't what I meant to show her, but I might as well start here. She took my hand and then let go, once she was out of the car.

She cleaned her hands on her jeans and looked around. "Where are we?" She asked finally, after looking around for a while.

"We're where Stefan and I became vampires. It was an accident. Stefan and I were shot...while Katherine's blood was still inside us." I looked around us, remembering it like it was yesterday. "Stefan told me later that our Dad had been the one to shoot us. I wasn't really surprised about that." I stopped abruptly, after realizing I had said it out loud.

Arriane was looking around and when I stopped, she looked at me. "This is where everything happened isn't it?" She asked me, her voice sounding hushed.

"In a way, yes." I said, watching her as she started to walk closer to the river.

"Be careful." I said softly and found myself holding her arm to pull her away, and keep her from falling inside the river. I only realized what I was doing when she turned around to look at me.

And her eyes looked...different. There were shades of purple, mixed with blue, as she looked at me.

I stumbled as I tried to move away, and suddenly, I saw her glow again. And...I could see a strange shape around her. Like...wings.

She reached for me and her eyes looked alarmed, and bright, really bright. And things started distorting into strange shapes around us.

"Something's...something's wrong..." I whispered, looking at her, trying to make her understand, before I passed out. Then everything went dark.

* * *

Elena

Stefan and I were walking through town in the dark. I wondered about what Damon and Arriane were doing right now. Probably, they were partying somewhere or playing pool back at the Grill.

"So, how is everything?" I asked Stefan, trying to smile at him.

"Everything is fine." He said slowly. "And you and Damon...are you guys okay...with each other?"

"Yah, we're doing fine. We're really okay." I said to him. "So...you and Arriane...how did you two meet?" I asked Stefan briskly.

"Um...we met in New York. After you told me you wanted to be with Damon, I needed...some time away from here. Have some fun, see something new. So I drove to the airport and compelled someone into giving me a ticket."

"So, why New York?" I asked him, curiously. I knew that New York was said to be the city where people stay up all night, partying, just like Vegas. I had never been to neither but somehow, I knew that was true. And to me, that seemed like the kind of place where you would find Damon and Arriane, not Stefan. Maybe I was being awfully quick to judge them.

"I wanted a change, for once. You know I'm not really the partying type, like Damon. But I thought maybe I should try it, see if I understood why he likes it so much." He looked up at me, for a brief second, then looked away. "Arriane and I met at this bar...I can't remember what it's called. She was with some friends, doing some shots. Then she, um...came closer to me and asked me to dance. And we just danced all night. Then she asked me to go with her to this private party of this friend of hers. I just decided to go with her, you know, have some fun, enjoy myself." He shrugged and took a breath.

"But why did you choose her to be your rebound girl? From thousands of others who would want you, you choose her." I said, and my voice started to get louder as I said it.

He had stopped in his tracks, and was looking angrily at me now. "Why? Do you have any problem with who I date or something?" He said, and his face was inches from mine now.

"It's none of your business." He spat and walked away, back toward the Grill, probably to get his car.

I gaped at his back, as he jogged toward the Grill. Then I found myself running to keep up with him.

"Look, Stefan, I'm sorry. I didn't mean that." I said, when I was at his side.

"It doesn't matter, Elena. I don't want to spend time with you anymore. Just leave me alone." He turned to look at me then, and his face looked hard.

I gulped back tears and said, softly "Stefan, please. Just listen...I'm so sorry..."

"It doesn't mean anything to me, Elena. You dumped me, and now you seem to want to make it up to me. Forget it. I don't want anything from you. I'm done being your puppet, your toy, that you can push around and use whenever you need to. You say you're nothing like Katherine, but the only difference I see between the two of you, is the fact that you chose Damon, instead of me." Stefan said flatly. Then he turned around and walked away.

* * *

Stefan

I had turned my back on Elena about thirty minutes ago, and I was drinking scotch at the Grill, my being sober ideas a long gone, when Alaric sat next to me.

"Long night?" He asked, gesturing to the drink in my hand.

"Yup." I said, and drained the glass dry.

Alaric asked a glass of scotch for him as well and then turned to me.

"So, how's everything? I know you're not with Elena anymore, but I hear you're with someone else." He said, trying to sound nonchalant.

"Yeah. Um...I'm dating this girl, Arriane. Damon and Elena, they're on a double date with us tonight. Elena and I had an argument, but I think Damon and Arriane must be together somewhere."

He raised his eyebrows and studied my face. "An argument? About what?"

"No big deal. She just pissed me off. It was kind of dumb, but she started it. I was willing to be her friend, but she started asking me why I choose Arriane, instead of some other girl, like there was something wrong with Arriane. And I got angry, that's all."

"That sounds like jealousy to me." Alaric said and I looked up at him. I hadn't thought about that.

"Yeah, but...why would she be jealous? She's got Damon." I said, my eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

"I don't know. Maybe she regrets choosing him over you."

I looked at him, and I knew I still looked confused. The Grill was almost empty and it was past midnight. I got up slowly and made my way to the door.

"See you later, Rick. Damon must be back with Arriane at the boardinghouse, and we agreed to meet up there." I waved quickly at him from the door and went outside, feeling the breeze on my face. I made my way to my car and started driving to the boardinghouse, wondering about what Rick had told me about Elena.

* * *

Damon

I opened my eyes and rubbed them, wearily. I remembered feeling dizzy all of sudden, and noticing strange lights on Arriane's eyes...Arriane. Where was she?

I stood up, and looked around. She was nowhere in sight. I walked around the creek twice, finding nothing. I reached to my phone and called Stefan. Voice mail.

"Hey, Stef. Something's off. I passed out and I can't find Arriane. It smells like Elijah's doing to me. That thing he said about her on the restaurant...that was strange. Call me as soon as you get this." I snapped my phone shut, annoyed. If he had taken her, I would kill him. Stefan would be very upset if his girl went missing in my watch. _I _would be very upset if she went missing in my watch.

As I was thinking this, I found her. She was laying on top of the car. I pulled my fingers under her body and pulled her into my arms. She twitched and her eyes opened hugely. The violet lights were still there.

"Damon?" She said, her hand at the back of her neck. Just then, I noticed the punctures on Arriane's neck. Two small punctures, on the left side of her neck. It looks like Stefan had been feeding from her after all, I thought, amused.

She groaned softly and I set her to the floor, keeping my hands on her shoulders, just to keep her from falling, if she started to. "What happened?" I asked her, a bit harshly. Then I sighed and lowered my voice. "Sorry." I said. "Just...I hate it when someone pushes me around. Did you see anything?"

"Um...no. Just...you passed out and then..." She put a hand to her forehead, and sighed, annoyed.

"I can't remember. There was something...someone. He looked like that guy from the Grill, Elijah. Elena said he was a creep, so I tried to hide, but I think he caught me...right?" She looked up at me, looking uncertain.

"Yeah, probably he caught you. I just have to ask you something to know what he took from you. If he took anything." I reached to Arriane's neck, to the punctures, and she flinched.

"Did he do these? Or Stefan did?" I asked her.

"Stefan. Stefan bit me earlier today. I offered him." She said, then shrugged at my expression.

I brushed my finger tips on the course of her neck. "What are you hiding from him?"

She just looked at me, with a puzzling expression. I was starting to think that maybe Elijah was right about Arriane not being what she seemed.

* * *

Elena

I crossed the doorway to the boardinghouse and found Stefan inside, pouring himself some of Damon's scotch.

On my way here, I had been praying for Damon to be back already.

"Damon's not back yet?" I asked him, even though I already knew the answer.

"No, he's not." Stefan said and drained his glass. I felt a huge yearning for Stefan, all of a sudden.

He was across the room, there was no one at the house. No Arriane, no Damon. Just Stefan and me, all alone. _No one will ever know,_ I told myself as I moved forward, toward him.

I started to open his shirt and then leaned in to kiss him. "Hum...Yummy." I said and started to kiss his neck and then his lips. I felt a flicker of a response, but then it was gone.

"Get off me, Elena!" Stefan screamed, pushing me to the other side of the room, and stumbling backwards, trying to get away from me.

I moved forward again, not giving up. Something told me it wouldn't take a lot to make him mine again.

"Come on...you know you want to, Stefan. And if you're worried that they'll find out, don't be. They're not here now. They'll never know." I pulled his face closer to mine and kissed him.

"Elena, I told you to get off me!" Stefan said, pushing me off him and running upstairs in a flash.

He stood still, on top of the stairs, looking down at me. I half-expected him to change his mind, but then he said "If you come near me again, I'll hurt you. Don't come near me, Elena. Ever. I don't want you." Stefan said coldly, then went into his room and closed the door.

I clutched my throat and fought back tears. Then, I grabbed my coat and went out the door, to find some very tasty dinner. I licked my lips, feeling my fangs itching in anticipation.

* * *

Damon

I crossed the doorway of the boardinghouse with Arriane. She hadn't told me anything about whatever it was she was keeping from Stefan, but I knew I could trust her.

Before I brought her back, she let me compel her, to know what she felt. She really cared about Stefan; she wasn't a threat to him at all. Usually I would have taken advantage of her, but I didn't want to go there with her. Whatever she was...she was powerful.

Stefan came downstairs in a flash of movement and pulled Arriane in for a hug. "I missed you. I got Damon's message. I was so worried about you." His eyes flickered to mine, and I could see that he was grateful for what I had done. Which really wasn't that much.

"Where's Elena?" I asked Stefan, and watched his face darkening. Arriane was still tucked under him, burying her face in his shoulder.

"I'm not sure." He said finally. "She went out about thirty minutes ago. We didn't have a good time together and I guess she was upset. I was upset, too."

"I'm sorry about whatever she said to you." I told Stefan and started moving to the door. "I'll go look for her. I'll bring Arriane's car back. It's still at the Grill."

"Damon." Stefan said and I looked back. He threw the keys of Arriane's car to me.

"Thank you." He said, and I watched as he and Arriane moved upstairs. She looked back at me and smiled, then winked.

I winked back at her and walked out the door. I smiled, despite my worries about Elena. Arriane really was good for Stefan.

* * *

Stefan

Arriane and I were lying in my bed and I was playing with a lock of her hair. I had a rough night, and I could tell she had too. I was so tired. I let out a sigh and closed my eyes. Then I felt Arriane's fingers opening my shirt. She pulled it carefully away from my shoulders and threw it with a perfect aim to a chair in the corner.

I laughed. "Your aim is always perfect." I said, with a yawn. I opened my eyes to peek at her face.

She was drawing a random pattern on my chest and she looked distracted. I breathed deeply, just glad to be done with the double date. It had seemed like a good idea at first, but it hadn't worked out so well in the end. I yawned again, pulling Arriane closer to me.

"Stefan?" She whispered, very softly.

"Yeah?" I replied, sleepily.

"I need to show you something, when we wake-up."

"Okay." I said, drifting. I felt Arriane leaning against my shoulder and inhaled the smell of her hair, before falling asleep.

* * *

**Okay, so I really hope you guys enjoy this chapter. And in the next chapter there will be Arriane's first POV. Or at least I think there will be. ;)  
**


	6. Arriane's Secret

**So sorry for taking so long to update. I got a little late to finish this chapter with Christmas (by the way Merry Christmas, everybody!). So I hope you will enjoy this…and I would like your opinion for something…should I make some Christmas on the fic****?**** Please tell me what you think and sorry again for taking so long to post.  
**

* * *

Stefan

I opened my eyes and stretched, letting out a yawn. Then I smiled. I could still feel Arriane here. But I thought she said she was leaving in the morning. And it wasn't morning anymore. It was 1PM already. I stood up and stretched again.

Then I saw her. She was sitting in that chair near the window, writing something. I moved closer to her, and lifted her up easily and pulled her into my lap on the chair. She laughed and kissed my cheek, then leaned against my shoulder.

I took a peek at what she was writing. It looked like a school paper to me. I had done one like that here once.

"What are you writing?" I asked her, still peeking.

"This thing for school. It's so boring." She said and sighed with annoyance.

"Yeah, I know how you feel." I said and kissed her neck. I wasn't hungry or anything, I just wanted to distract her from doing it. I lifted my face to look at her.

"I thought you were going back to school today." I said, watching her as she kept writing.

"Yeah." She looked back at me and smiled. "But I decided to skip a week. There's something I want to show you." She jumped out of the chair and threw the mass of papers and pen in her bag, and took my hand, to help me get up. I followed her out into the hall and down the stairs, out the back door.

* * *

Elena

I was laying next to Damon in the boardinghouse. He had come looking for me at my house, and I had made the stupid mistake to stop by at my house and tell Aunt Jenna that I was going over to Caroline's. We had talked for about an hour, when Damon came around.

And then I went back to the boardinghouse with him. From what I could tell, Stefan and Arriane were already asleep, in Stefan's room.

After we arrived, Damon went to bed and I went with him, but I couldn't sleep all night. I could hear Stefan and Arriane, laughing in Stefan's room now. They were moving downstairs, together.

I thought about what I had done last night. Throwing myself at Stefan. And the worst part was…I didn't really regret it. I had really wanted it back then.

I turned to look at Damon. He was fast asleep when we arrived, he was so tired. I didn't know if he had fun with Arriane or not, and I really didn't care. My attempts at staying on her good side could stop right now, because Stefan didn't want me anywhere near her.

I wondered about what I felt for Stefan. Clearly I was still interested in him. But I was with Damon, I told myself, while I brushed his shoulder. How could I do that, still want Stefan? I had been the one to dump him in the first place. And Damon had been so good to me. He gave me a new ring and everything.

I closed my eyes and tried to sleep. I could hear Stefan and Arriane outside, in the backyard, in the back of my mind. I drifted, slowly, until I couldn't keep my eyes open properly anymore. And sighed and closed my eyes, deciding to try to sleep.

* * *

Arriane

"First, I brought you breakfast." I said, and threw a blood bag at him. He laughed.

"Thanks." He said, grinning. He started sucking the blood from his blood bag.

I moved closer to him and wrapped my arms around his waist. Then, Stefan grated and pulled the blood bag away.

"I had enough." He said, a and his voice sounded small and surprised, almost childlike.

"Hey. You don't have to keep yourself from more. You're not killing anyone." I said, taking his face between my hands, and gazing at him.

"I really had enough." He said softly, still sounding surprised.

Then he started walking back inside, to throw out the blood bag.

I took a deep breath, and started to prepare myself. I had to show him what I was. I just hoped it wouldn't have the same effect it had on Damon, on him. I didn't think it would, because he had my blood and Damon hadn't. I took another deep breath and felt Stefan behind me.

I felt the tickling on my back as he moved closer. His fingers brushed my back carefully, right on top of them, my wings.

"Stefan." I said.

"What?" He whispered, softly. He went to stand in front of me.

"I have to show you." I whispered.

He kissed my lips, carefully and lightly. And that was enough. I felt the tickling growing stronger on my back and then they were out.

I took deep breaths to keep them from making me fly away from him.

He looked up at them. He looked bewildered. Stefan reached to touch them, brushing his finger tips over my left wing. It was ticklish. I laughed and buried my face in his chest.

Then he laughed, his fingers on my face as he kissed me. "What are you?"

"Don't laugh." I said, softly. "I'm an angel, for real, you know."

He pulled my face away from his, to look at me. He wasn't laughing. He looked serious.

I let out a little laugh, and tucked my wings back inside. I went back to the back door of the boardinghouse.

Then I turned back to him, just before going inside.

"You're not okay with it. I'll leave." I whispered, trying to put the tears back where they belonged. Not here, I thought to myself.

Then Stefan was standing close to me in a blur of speed. He kissed me, lightly at first, then hungrily. I felt my wings brushing my back, to get out.

"Stefan..." I tried to push him out the back door.

"I don't care about that. I want you." He said, fiercely. I closed my eyes, feeling his lips warm against mine.

Then he pulled me outside, almost as if he knew they were coming out.

They unfurled from my back, in a flash and I kissed him back. Slowly, I felt a presence.

Not him, not Damon, not Elena. It was in the woods. I pulled away from him, to look at it.

"Stefan, someone else is here." I told him, softly.

* * *

Stefan

I moved to stand between Arriane and whatever it was that was coming. Her fingers were tight over my waist and then _she _pulled me behind her. Her body was stiff and her wings were tucked back inside her.

I realized, as I watched her, that I believed her about what she said. About what she was. It explained a lot. Why her blood made me satisfied all of sudden, when mostly I had to struggle to stay away from blood; it explained why it didn't make her ill when I fed from her, why she offered me, why she wasn't frightened when I told her about what I was. It didn't explain what she was doing now, though.

"Arriane." I said, irritated, trying to pull her back. I couldn't.

There was still a lot I needed to know. How far her powers went. This was really odd, my not being able to pull her behind me. I knew I was weak because of my lack of human blood, but I knew I could pull a girl behind me easily. Not her, though.

And it wasn't me either. It was her. Her strength. Nothing wrong with me. Just...she was different.

All of sudden, some movement in the woods snapped my attention back to where I was, back to Arriane.

"Arriane." I said, annoyed and irritated again. I sighed, giving up, after realizing she wouldn't stay behind me, even if I kept trying.

Then Elijah emerged from the woods and I gaped at him, while I felt Arriane sigh with relief under my fingers and watched with astonishment as she smiled at him.

"Elijah." She said, nodding briefly. "I see you're back on our side." She winked at him, and he smiled, he actually smiled at her. I gaped and Arriane turned back to me, then sighed at my expression.

"Come on, I'll explain everything. Let's go somewhere more private where we can talk."

Then Arriane looked back at Elijah. "You own him some explaining too." She said bossily to him.

I expected him to rip her out of my arms and snap her neck, but instead he just sighed.

"As bossy as ever, right Arriane?" He passed her, and tugged at a lock of her hair, just as she slapped his hand away, laughing. Almost like siblings, like Damon and me, or Elena and Jeremy. I gaped.

"Looks like Cam trained you well." He actually winked at her. All I could do was gape at them, like an idiot.

"Shut up, you're confusing him." She said, and hit Elijah's shoulder, taking him by surprise and causing him to nearly stumble into the floor.

Then she laughed and leaded the way to her car, forcing Elijah to go on the backseat and driving away from the boardinghouse.

* * *

**So, this was a bit of a cliff-hanger...will try to update tonight, for your sake and my own, because I can't wait to see what happens myself!  
**


	7. Elijah

**Okay, so I'm really not sure about this chapter. I think it may be bit quick, to put too much details on Arriane and I also think I'm missin**g **the point of the fic. Stefan and Elena, **

**Damon and Elena. Please, comment telling me what you think.**

* * *

Elijah

Arriane parked the car in front of a house that was located over some hills. I glanced around, wondering where Cam was.

Then I turned around to watch her. She was standing next to Elena's ex, Stefan. I wondered what she wanted from him. Arriane rarely, if ever, hooked up with anyone and it wasn't

because people didn't want her. She looked back at me, and I could tell she knew what I was thinking.

"Where is Cam?" I asked her, innocently, looking around.

"He's at school. Reform school, just like the rest of us." She looked annoyed. I knew it was because I was trying to see through. She hated it when I did that.

I decided, after watching her stomping to the house with Stefan, to try to stop prying. She knows how to kill me, and although I don't think she wants to, it's always better not to give her

any reasons to want to, considering I _couldn't_ kill her.

I finally followed them inside the house, after she glared at me, her eyes burning violet like they usually did, when she was angry. The violet specks in her eyes were what drew me to her

when I first saw her. And the golden light too.

At first, she had wanted me. I could tell that. She'd let me compel her, or pretended to be compelled. She was only compelled if she wanted too, and she was strong. Physically, not much,

but if you tried to stab her with a knife, it wouldn't kill her.

When I finally crossed the doorway, she was leaning against Stefan's shoulder in a chair. I sat across from them and she glared at me, again.

Stefan was staring out the window at…nothing. He was distracted. She gazed at him and then she said, very gently "Stefan." And he had jumped, startled.

"Are you okay?" Arriane asked him, softly. She looked at me, and there was no anger on her eyes at all now. She looked worried.

Stefan touched his forehead. "Um…my head hurts and I'm feeling dizzy…"

She moved closer to his face, and reached into her pocket. A pocket knife. She made a small cut on her wrist, and pulled it to his lips.

He sucked and sucked and then I decided to stop him…I knew he had enough, when I saw Arriane's face growing paler. That never really happened, unless someone took too much.

I sighed and neither one of them noticed. I wanted to be alone with her anyway, I thought, and started to make Stefan fall asleep, very subtly, to make him think he_ wanted_ to.

"I'm really tired." He told Arriane, pulling her wrist away from his lips carefully. I frowned. I hadn't done _that_. "Are you going to be okay with him?" Stefan asked, and his eyes flickered to

me.

"Yeah, I'll be fine." She smiled reassuringly at him. Then she patted her lap, where she had put a pillow. "Come here."

Stefan was asleep few seconds later, on Arriane's lap, and she was playing with a lock of his hair distractedly, gazing dreamily at his face. Then, I snapped my fingers and her face

snapped up.

At first, Arriane looked angry for the interruption, and then her face went all soft-looking.

"What are you up to with Klaus?" She asked me, curtly. I could feel her hold on me right away.

It wasn't compelling or manipulative. She wasn't aware of it most of the time. That's what made most of us weaker. Her energy. I didn't feel it much anymore, because I was used to it.

But now, she was so intent on finding out, that it was actually starting to draw me to her.

I walked across the room, closer to her. Arriane wrapped her arms around Stefan in protectiveness.

"I won't hurt him." I said to her. "Here, you need some blood." I bit my wrist and held it out to her.

She grabbed it and I felt her light grip, while she drank.

I suppressed the urge to feed on her. Firstly because she didn't want me to, and it wouldn't be as good if she was unwilling. Second because…I didn't want this again. It had been a really

long time since I was with her. Probably when Katerina was turning the Salvatore brothers into vampires. We were in England.

I realized dazedly that I was brushing her earlobe carefully with my finger tips and after a while she looked up at me. And pulled my wrist away, drawing her finger across the cut and

healing the wound as she did so.

"How is everything, you know, with Klaus?" She said, and looked at Stefan, then up at me.

"I don't want to help Klaus." I said, sternly. "He's losing it. He wants to take revenge on everyone."

"Everyone who?" I grimaced when she asked that. I didn't want her to. She could always see through every word I said, without even trying.

"Damon, Rose, Stefan…Elena, Katherine…me, once he finds out what I'm doing."

Arriane was silent, really quiet, and I could tell she was thinking about something.

I tried to reach into her mind. She had my blood recently, and that would help.

I started to pick up on what she was thinking, when suddenly I couldn't. She didn't want me to, I realized, puzzled.

"Let's kill him." She said simply and smiled. I looked up at Arriane, and studied her face.

* * *

Elena

Damon and I were sitting at the kitchen table. I was chewing my waffle, and Damon was watching me, playing of a lock of my hair, distracted.

Surprisingly, Damon knew how to make a waffle. His waffle was quite tasty. I didn't need food or anything, but sometimes I liked to eat. Some things still tasted nice to me, despite my

thirst for blood.

"Your waffle is really good." I said and smiled warmly at Damon. He smiled back, but he still looked distracted. Worried-distracted, not just distracted.

I wondered if he could tell I felt guilty. If he knew about what I had done last night. I felt a cold chill through my back and shivered.

_Or maybe he's just worried about __Stefan and Arriane_, I thought, trying to comfort myself. It's already 3PM and they're still not back, to wherever they went off to. Her car wasn't here, but I

couldn't remember having heard them going out.

"What's wrong?" I asked him, when the silence started making me anxious.

"Nothing. Just…Stefan is gone." Damon looked up at me and bit his lip. Then I felt his blue eyes searching my face. Different from the way he usually looked at me. I could practically feel the

suspicion beneath his perfect face. I felt a chill and suppressed it.

"What happened last night?" He asked, his blue eyes looking bright and almost hungry.

"Nothing much." I said, uncomfortably. "Stefan and I fought. That's all."

* * *

Damon

I watched Elena's face. She looked anxious and to me, that meant she was lying. She looked away from my face and started fidgeting nervously.

"What _really_ happened last night?" I asked her, pulling closer to her over the table.

"I don't want to talk about it." She said softly, and hugged herself, shivering. I nearly moved closer to her and wrapped my arms around her to comfort her. I wanted to, but I had to _know_.

"Is about that you and Caroline were talking about?" I asked, my eyes flashing sideways at her.

I grabbed my phone from my pocket and dialed Stefan. She wouldn't tell me, then Stefan would.

"Damon…" She said, standing up as I moved to the doorway.

"What, Elena?" I said, turning around, annoyed. "If you are that big on trust in relationships, then please tell me what you and Stefan were doing. Because if you don't, he will."

"And…" I swallowed, not wanting to say this, no matter what. "Depending on what that is, we might be…done. Over." I said, forcing the words out, because even though I didn't want

that, it was true. I ran out the door right then, after seeing her face, the hurt look, and the way her eyes started filling up with tears. And nearly crashed into Rose in the doorway.

"Hi." She said, smiling brightly. She was holding two paper bags, one in each hand.

"What do you want?" I said gruffly, passing her and moving through the grass, toward the bridge.

"That's not exactly the kind of greeting I expected." She said, and I heard her drop one of the bags on the door. "I just wanted to ask if I could spend Christmas with you and your brother.

And I also brought you some donuts." She was standing next to me now, holding out a bag.

"Don't feel like eating. Having a rough day…" I looked up at Rose. "You could try Stefan, I suppose, but I think he's out…with his girlfriend."

"Elena?" She asked, brightening.

"No…Elena's my girlfriend now. Stefan's dating Arriane." I rolled my eyes, smiling. "You should get updated at some point."

"Right…who's Arriane?" Rose asked me.

"I'll tell you…if you get some information on something for me." I looked up at her.

"What would that be?" She asked, her face turning dark with suspicion.

"Nothing too hard…Elena's keeping something from me, and I want _you_ to find out what that is."

"Okay. I'll do it." Rose looked up. "So…what is it I'm looking for?"

"Something happened between Elena and Stefan last night. That's what I want to know."

"Why don't you just ask Stefan?"

"He's not picking up his phone. He's so different. You won't recognize him when you see him."

"Hm…strange."

"Yup." I said, nodding. "So, let's go to the Grill. I need a drink and Elena's at the house."

She looked at me, puzzled. "Which means, I don't want to be there." I said, pointedly.

"Right." Rose said. "Let's go. I'll buy you a drink." She pushed her arm through mine and we crossed the bridge. Then I noticed the ring.

"You've gotten yourself a ring?" I asked, lifting her hand so I could examine it.

"It was a present." She said, and pulled her hand away from mine, back inside my arm. I smiled as we kept walking toward town.

* * *

Elena

I called Damon on his phone thirty minutes after he left. I walked to door and threw it open. And looked down…to find a brown paper bag on the floor in front of the door. With donuts in

it…hm, they smelled amazing.

I grabbed the bag and pulled the door closed. I grabbed a donut and shoved it into my mouth. Then I stood over Damon's bar and grabbed his bottle of whiskey. I swallowed it, drinking

straight from the bottle. The only thing that would keep me from crying today was drinking all afternoon.

I just sat in the couch, stuffing all the donuts into my mouth and drinking Damon's whiskey. After eating five donuts, I was still hungry. I grabbed the bottle from my side and went

downstairs to the basement to get myself a blood bag from Damon's fridge.

I took the blood bag back upstairs and just sat drinking it slowly. I had thought Stefan would be the one to take them everyone from me. He hadn't. I had. I sighed, and went on sucking.

* * *

Elijah

Arriane was sleeping on the couch, next to a sleeping Stefan. They were in each others' arms, and they shifted, almost as if they were synchronized.

Then Stefan stirred and groaned, in pain and annoyance. He was dreaming. I pushed my mind into his to see what he was dreaming about.

Clouds, deep clouds in the sky…behind the boardinghouse. Thunder. And then, all of a sudden, rain. He was kissing Arriane, and pushing her into a wall. Then he made it for her throat and

she groaned in pleasure. She clutched his shoulders closer to her and groaned.

And then, Stefan gasped. He pulled away from Arriane, and she stared at him with wide eyes. There was blood on his t-shirt. Suddenly, I snapped out of Stefan's head as Arriane woke-up

gasping. She just stood, panting slightly, her fingers on Stefan's forearms.

She looked at me, and she really looked scared. Then her eyes moved to Stefan. His chest was bleeding. She reached for him and shook his body. "Stefan!" She shouted, and he didn't

twitch.

I moved closer to try to help her. "Arriane, get out of the way." I said, pushing past her and opening Stefan's t-shirt. Just like the one he had in the dream. There was a huge wound, and

blood was pooling up on Stefan's stomach. Arriane went to stand by Stefan's face.

She was going for her pocket knife, when her wrist cut by itself. She gasped. I stood and bit my own wrist, pulling it to Stefan's lips. I knew it wasn't as good as Arriane's, the real stuff, but

it would have to do for now.

Stefan groaned and then choked, and turned to the floor and threw up a fountain of blood. Arriane went to help him. He was shaking and he looked alarmed. He didn't seem to notice his

wound.

"He hurt you. Why did he hurt you?" Stefan gasped, and looked at his stomach.

Arriane's blood was dropping to the floor and I was having a hard time looking at it, as I felt hunger hitting me. My jaw started to ached steadily and I stood up from my crouch on the floor.

Arriane looked at me. "There's blood in the fridge."

I looked at Stefan, expecting him to look at her. He didn't. Then I realize her thought had been projected into my head, not spoken out loud. I threw the fridge open angrily, as I watched

Stefan drinking from her wrist.

She helped him to the couch and I could tell he was breathless. He looked ragged and the hole on his stomach wasn't closed yet. Then I saw what it was. A stake, a perfect shape of a

stake on his stomach. I flinched from just looking at it and sucked the blood bag, until there was nothing left. Then I grabbed another one and kept drinking it, thinking about Arriane and

me, in the past.

Our trip to New York. How I lost her there, ninety years back. And I didn't lose her like you lose a pocket watch. I lost her forever.

And when she looked up at me now and smiled sweetly, I just wished I could be with her again. Then I found myself fumbling inside me for the switch. Then something came to mind.

Something Klaus told me once.

"There's not such a thing as a switch to turn off. We fool ourselves so well, we start believing that there is, and that's what makes us feel better."

I felt a wave of panic when I remembered that, but then I found the switch and turned it off. And stared coldly at Arriane and Stefan, laughing in the living room. Deep down, I knew I was

fooling myself, but there was nothing else. I would rather fool myself than to hurt over someone who didn't want me at all. Arriane had been in love with me a long time ago, but it

wouldn't come back. I had lost her for good and that's what she told me, back then.

"We don't belong together. I'm done with you. What you did…or tried to do, I hate you for it. Don't come for me, ever again. You've really lost me forever this time, and I never want to see

you again." Then she turned around and disappeared. I hadn't seen her since then, but she still looked the same. And I wished, for a moment that she would want me. Then I realized that

what Klaus said was truth; there's no such thing as switch.

I walked to the living room and toward the front door. Arriane looked up from her fingers, which were locked with Stefan's, her blue nail polish halfway out.

"Where are you going?" She asked me softly. Then I felt the brush of her mind on mine, and I knew I couldn't keep her out, even if I tried to, especially with my blood inside her, so I just

gave up.

_I didn't mean to hurt you. I'm so sorry._

I just went on walking forward, toward the edge of the mountain. Then I disappeared, in a blur, feeling the heavy weight of heartbreak. I didn't want to see her again, ever.

But…still, I wished she would call for me. Ask my help to kill Klaus. I wanted to, one way or another. Even if it would get me killed, even if I had to protect Stefan, I would do anything to be

with her. I was screwed and I would never recover from this, even if I made it out and lived thousands of years without seeing her. She would always come around at some point and I

would feel the same way. I sighed and just kept running, to forget that today had ever happened.


	8. Blood Bonds

**Okay, today I don't really have anything inspiring to say, so let's just stick with "I hope you enjoy the chapter." Bye!  
**

**Also, I'm so grateful to all the support I've been getting in my reviews. You guys are awesome and so supportive. Thanks. ;)**

* * *

Stefan

It was getting dark outside when Arriane and I finally went to her car, to go back to the boarding house. I knew today was the full moon. Caroline told me that's when Tyler's suppose to

change. I sat behind the wheel and got my phone out. I texted Caroline and pulled away from the curb. I looked at Arriane.

She looked back at me and smiled, reaching for my hand. She brushed her fingers against mine gently and I smiled at her. She looked so beautiful and perfect. She was paler though, and I

reached to brush my fingers against her cheek. Her skin felt colder.

I looked at her wrist. The scar was still there. Faintly pink, but not gone. I touched the scar with my finger tips and Arriane looked up at me.

"I'm fine, Stefan." She said softly, and I felt her fingers brushing my face. I closed my eyes briefly and forced them to open again. I felt so tired. Still, I felt fine. I was really okay, even

though after Elena dumped me I thought I would never be fine again.

But I had Arriane and she loved me. I always felt something different about her. About what she was. I didn't expect her to be an angel, but it actually fit her. She was so beautiful, so

perfect, so innocent. I loved her too. It seemed like I knew her for years, not days.

Then something hit me. She knew Elijah from somewhere. And I had some questions about how things worked for her. About her powers, her weakness. Things like this. Things I had to

know, so I could protect her.

I reached into my pocket and got the vitamins out. I pulled two of them into my palm, and gave them to her. When she saw them, her face started to look soft as she watched my face.

She reached for them, and swallowed them, no questions asked.

Then I watched her lower lip start to quiver, and her blue eyes filled up with tears. I stopped the car and opened my door, then hers. And then I just pulled her out of the car and wrapped

my arms around her and tucked her under me. And her entire body was shaking. I could feel my heart sinking, as I brushed her hair, and wondered about what was happening to her.

Maybe she was going through something.

All I wanted to do was stay with her forever. I pulled her perfect, tear-streaked face carefully away and gazed into her eyes.

"I love you." I whispered to her and felt the sinking feeling again. I could feel my eyes filling up at her expression. Desperation. She looked desperate and upset and sad, so sad.

She wrapped her arms around me, sobbing delicately. _I love you too,_ I heard her say in my mind. I kissed her forehead, and then I just held her, carefully, as if she would break if I gripped

her too tightly. Maybe she wouldn't break, but I didn't want to risk her. Not now or ever. I loved her.

* * *

Damon

Rose and I were back at the boardinghouse. Still no Stefan. Elena was gone, and for some reason I was grateful for that. I did need some alone time. Rose would find out what I wanted

to know tomorrow, if Stefan didn't come home. I looked out the window. It was nighttime and it was raining really hard. I hadn't realized that before.

Just then, the front door was thrown open and a wet-looking Stefan came inside, with Arriane tucked under his coat. She was shivering and I could tell something was wrong. By the way

his expression looked stricken, and worn-out and tired.

She shivered under his arms, and clutched closer to Stefan. She was cold and something was really wrong. She was wet as well, I realized as I motioned for Rose to come closer.

What I wanted to know could wait, I decided, after I took a closer look at Arriane. She looked really pale. Stefan was clearly trying to keep her warm.

"Rose." I said and turned to look at her. "Could you take Arriane upstairs and get her some of Elena's clothes, please? They're in her duffel bag."

"Sure." She said, and moved closer to Stefan and Arriane.

Stefan watched her. He seemed unsure. "I'll take care of her. I promise." Rose said to him.

"Okay." He said. Then he turned to Arriane. "I'm going upstairs to stay with you in a second, okay? You wait for me to take a shower. I have to talk to Damon for a second."

"Okay." She said softly and wrapped her arms around Stefan's shoulders. When they pulled away from each other, Stefan kissed her forehead and then Rose helped her upstairs.

And I felt the shadow of a thought. It wasn't directed at me. It was directed at Stefan.

_It's not your fault. I'll be okay, Stefan. _Arriane thought it at him.

Maybe she was even more powerful than I thought. Then I looked up at Stefan.

He didn't look so good. It was pretty clear his problem wasn't hunger. He looked really close to breaking and very desperate. He rubbed his temples and then looked at me.

"I don't know what I did. I did something, Damon. I fed from her. I shouldn't have. What is wrong with me?" He was walking around the living room. He looked bad. Really bad. Guilty.

"Stefan, you didn't do anything." I said and stopped him in his tracks. "And if you did, we can fix it. Did you give her vitamins?" I asked him. He was close to tears. His hair looked messy,

and his eyes looked as if he had a bad headache. Red and with dark black circles under them as if he hadn't slept in a while.

"Yes. It didn't work. I thought of giving her blood, and I asked her if she wanted it, but she refused. Then, she took two more vitamins. And...when we were coming here,

Damon...she...she started to shiver and shake, and I didn't know what to do." He gulped, and I felt his distress. It was really strong and I could feel it so strongly that it made me want to

cringe.

"Stefan, it's okay. I'll give her blood. I'll convince her, okay? She'll be fine." I touched his shoulder, to try to reassure him. I never thought I would say this, but for once...I could feel his

distress and I actually cared about that. He was my brother. Despite all the games I played, I cared about him. And Arriane was a good person. She wasn't supposed to get hurt. I would

help him.

"Go upstairs to stay with her. She probably wants you with her now. I'll talk to Rose and see what we can figure."

Once Stefan went upstairs and Rose came back, I looked at her. I had a favour to ask.

"We need a favour from Elijah. How can we find him?" I asked and watched her eyes growing huge with surprise. I could feel her shock, and I just nodded at her, to show her it was true. I

needed my brother to be okay. When I needed him, he was there. It was my turn to return the favour.

* * *

Elena

Caroline, Bonnie and I were lying on the floor of Caroline's living room. They were asleep, but I felt uneasy. Some strong uneasiness was creeping inside me. Something was wrong.

I started when I heard Caroline's phone ring, next to her. She reached to it sleepily and picked it up.

"Hello?" She said. She sat up straighter, rubbing her eyes.

"Stefan?" She said. "What's wrong?" She looked wide awake now, and I felt a huge wave of fear as I sat up and she looked at me. Bonnie was stirring and starting to wake-up.

Caroline listened for a long time and the expression on her face frightened me. She looked scared and upset.

"Right. We're going over. Now." She closed her phone and was up, running through the house. She was back in a less than a minute, already dressed and with her purse.

"Bonnie, let's go. They need us. Arriane is sick. We have to make a deal with Elijah. Stefan thinks you should stay here, Elena, for your safety."

"But...what's wrong with her?" I asked Caroline.

"They don't know. But she's really sick, Elena, and Stefan is really upset. I could tell that. He thinks she's going to die. He didn't say it, but he was really desperate." And with that, Caroline

dragged Bonnie out the door to her car and I just stared out the window as they left. And I realized that, deep down, I wanted Stefan and Arriane to work out. And then I just sat, thinking

of what I could do to help.

* * *

Caroline

When I crossed the doorway to the boardinghouse, I found Damon and a girl sitting next to him on the couch. She had a cropped haircut that was really pretty. Damon and the girl stood

up.

"I'm Rose." She said. "I'm here to help you guys find Elijah. I might need your help, Bonnie." She said gently. It was clear she knew about Bonnie's distaste in vampires and cared about it.

"Why?" Bonnie asked. She didn't look unwilling, just frightened.

"Because we don't have time to look for the person Rose knows that can find him. We need a summoning spell." Damon explained and he looked apologetic.

Bonnie's head snapped up. I thought she was going to put him in his place or something, and was about to stop her, when what she said took me off guard.

"We need something that belongs to him." Bonnie said softly. "Or his blood, or something like that."

I heard noise from upstairs and looked up. Stefan was helping Arriane come downstairs. She looked really tired and pale, and I could see her blue veins beneath the skin.

"Take some of my blood." She said, and her voice sounded pretty strong.

"What?" I said, dumbly.

"I had Elijah's blood earlier today." She said. She stretched carefully, and Stefan's fingers went around her waist. She looked weak and nauseated, even though her voice was even.

"It's still here." She said and traced her pale skin, right on top of the vein on her wrist. There was a scar there, a pink fading one. A bite mark. I looked at Stefan and I knew my face looked

hard.

He looked back at me, and I felt my face softening as I noticed how tired he looked. Deep, black circles under his eyes, and he looked paler as well. Almost sick. Just like her.

He walked to the couch with Arriane and Damon touched his shoulder gently. His face looked stricken. Damon's and Stefan's as well. They looked upset. If I wasn't so worried about

Arriane, I would have wondered about Stefan and Damon.

"Do you really think we can take more blood?" Stefan asked her gently, massaging her wrist.

"Yes, you can. If you want to summon him, I'll help you. But there's no point, if you're doing it for me. I'll be okay in the morning." She said. "I'm just tired, that's all."

Arriane leaned against Stefan's shoulder and closed her eyes. Stefan pulled back, leaning against the couch and pulled her into his chest, massaging her back gently. Stefan closed his

eyes, then opened them again.

"You can take some, Damon, just not too much. She's already weak, I don't want to make it any worse." In his arms, Arriane twitched and he looked at her. His eyes softened as he

watched her face.

Damon came closer with a huge, professional-looking syringe. I looked away, cringing.

I looked back and saw Stefan pull out her small wrist gently as if he were scared to break it. She was breathing deeply against his chest, asleep.

Damon pulled the syringe into her arm, and filled it with a little blood. He looked disgruntled as he watched the syringe. He clearly wished he didn't need to do it.

Rose pulled a towel into her arm and then a round band-aid, like the ones doctors use when you get a blood sample.

Damon turned to Bonnie with the syringe and cringed again, as if it burned him. He held it up so she could see it. "Is this enough?" He asked her.

"I suppose. If his blood is still there, mixed with hers, it should be enough." She said, and held out her hand, so that Damon could place the syringe in it.

"And if it isn't?" Rose asked.

"Then...nothing will happen." Bonnie said, looking over at Arriane, her eyes soft and worried.

"It's almost midnight." I said. "Help me get this done." I said and looked at Damon.

We worked for about ten minutes in sync, when the clock marked ten minutes to midnight. Bonnie sat in front of the lighted candle as we stood around her. Stefan was holding Arriane

carefully as she slept. He was the only one that was sitting other than Bonnie. I was tense and I could tell the others were too. Even Bonnie was. She was fidgeting anxiously with her

necklace. I kneeled next to her.

"It's going to be okay." I said. "You'll get it right."

"I know." She said, and bit her lip. "It's just—" Bonnie broke off, when the front door was thrown open. Arriane started awake and Stefan wrapped his arms around her carefully, with

protectiveness.

Elijah walked into the light of Bonnie's candle flame. We all just stared at him.

"You asked that I come." He said, flatly. "Here I am." He said, and smiled. An evil smile, one that you would see on a person who wanted to make harm. It made me want to run.

Bonnie shivered and we just stared at him, remaining silent. Then the candle flame died out and everything was quiet.


	9. Nightfall

**Again, I'm not very inspired with things like this today. I'm hoping you guys will like it. I'm so sorry about the cliffhanger in each chapter, but how else am I supposed to get your attention? ;)**

* * *

Caroline

I looked around and made my way to where Bonnie sat. I helped her up and pulled her away from Elijah. I could see his eyes, when I was going to help Bonnie as he watched me. They

were so cold, even in the dark. _Oh, God__,_ I thought. _He's upset and he's going to hurt us._

And then, Elijah snapped his fingers and the candle flame lighted. Bonnie started, and I patted her arm to try to reassure her. Elijah looked around the room at all of us. Finally his eyes

stopped on me.

"It's just this stupid wind." He said, and winked at me, moving closer. "Otherwise everything would have been so perfect…" He stopped dead, when his gaze fell on Arriane.

She cringed and hid her face against Stefan's chest. When I looked back at Elijah, I couldn't describe the expression on his face. It kept changing, but it was all a mixture of the same;

betrayal, pain, heartbreak…and then, at last, anger. Then it turned off, and he smiled. It reminded me of the way Damon looked sometimes, when he was around Elena and Stefan,

when they had been together, when I was still human. Sometimes he just looked _so_ heartbroken. Like a little boy, that has been through so much and _knows_ there's more on the way.

That was why I stuck with him so long. That and all that compelling he did on me.

"Well, what do you _want_?" He asked, flashing a hard grin, that turned into a hard-looking expression right afterwards. Nobody said anything.

Then, all of a sudden, Arriane stood up. Stefan was so shocked he didn't try to stop her.

"Get_ out_! Now!" She moved away from the couch, toward him. She still looked pale, but she was angry and that seemed to be making her stronger. She poked Elijah's shoulder and

pushed him out the front door.

We just looked around, and then at each other. Stefan stood up, to go after them. Damon pulled him back. "Leave them be, Stef." Damon said. "She'll be fine."

* * *

Arriane

_What the hell are you doing here?_ I shouted into his head, and he cringed, rubbing his temples.

"Don't yell at me." He said, lifting his hands in a surrender gesture. "Wasn't that a summoning spell what they were doing? They wanted me to come here."

_Yes. But you just showed up. They didn't finish the spell._

He opened his mouth to speak and I lifted a finger. _Use your mind to talk to me. Idiot._

I tried to suppress a devilish grin from coming into my lips.

_Sorry. _He licked his lips. _Why did they want me to come__?_

His face softened as he tried to read me. I didn't need to answer him. I could tell he knew, from the general direction of his thoughts.

_They want you to give me blood, _I said finally. _But I'm fine. Really._

_You know I don't mind._ Elijah's face turned soft again. He reached to brush my face carefully with his thumb.

I pulled away from him. _I do,_ I said fiercely, looking into his eyes.

_But you're not okay. You're not okay._ The way how he was looking at me, I didn't like it at all. He looked _hurt._ Not because I refused to have his blood. Because he thought I was sick.

_I'm fine. _I repeated. _I just need to sleep for a while, and then I'll be fine._

Elijah moved closer to me slowly, studying my face. I could feel his mind, his thoughts.

_She looks paler. Her skin…it feels cold, even from far. Was it my blood__?_

He was so focused on me, he wasn't realizing I could read his mind easily. And then, I felt his crushing guilt. He thought his blood had done this to me.

_I gave Stefan some blood after you left. I just exchanged too much blood today. I just need to sleep it off. I already had some vitamins and I'm fine. You can go now._

I looked pointedly at the bridge. He followed my gaze and sighed. _You should eat something, okay?_

_Okay. _He looked up_, _toward the bridge and I felt her name in his mind as he watched her.

_Elena's here._ He told me softly. Still not knowing I could feel his mind. He was so distracted.

_You should go. _I reached to touch his shoulder and massaged it carefully. Elijah jumped, as if he were surprised that I would touch him. _She doesn't like you very much._

He flashed me a smile, in that casual way of his. _Is that so__?_

_She thinks you're a creep._ I smiled a tiny smile for him, as I watched him walk out to the woods behind the boardinghouse. He waved and winked, then disappeared.

* * *

Elena

Arriane was standing in the front porch. She was watching me. Someone had been standing there with her. I hadn't been able to see him so well, and they hadn't said anything to

each other. They just stared at each other, and then he went to the woods.

I stepped into the front porch. I realized why Stefan was worried. Her skin looked waxy, and she looked sick. She looked smaller than usual. She was wearing a sweater...that was

Damon's and jeans.

"Hi, Elena." She said and smiled.

"Hi." I tried to smile back. "Are you feeling better?" I found myself touching her arm gently.

"Yeah." She said and smiled. "I'm just a little tired."

I watched her and then she looked at the door. "Do you want to come in?" She asked, hesitantly.

"I'm not sure." I said, softly. I could tell Damon was there. With Stefan, and Caroline and Bonnie, and Rose.

"You should come." She said, warmly. "I'll make us some cookies."

Arriane held her hand out to me. I took it and she pulled the door open, dragging me inside.

The first person I saw was Stefan. He breathed deeply, in relief. He moved toward us.

"Are you okay?" He asked Arriane, and pulled her into his arms. I peeked at him, before looking up at Damon. Stefan's eyes were closed.

Damon was looking at me. I walked slowly toward him.

"I want to talk to you." I whispered, reaching for his hand. "There's something I have to tell you."

* * *

Damon

The minute I saw Elena, standing in the doorway, with Arriane, I knew what was coming. I would find out. What she had done to Stefan.

When we got upstairs, Elena sat in my bed. She looked up at me.

"I tried to kiss Stefan...on the night we went to the double date with him and Arriane." Her lower lip quivered, and she looked up at me. Her eyes were filling up with tears.

"And he…" She gulped. "Stefan pushed me away. And I'm sorry, Damon."

I smiled painfully at her. "Why did you?" I asked her.

"Because..." She remained silent and I could feel my face growing cold with anger. I tried to keep my voice normal, as if I didn't care.

"If you did that, that means you should go. I need to be alone for a while, Elena." I said, coldly.

She watched me, and the tears rolled down her cheeks. I ignored them, and kept trying to find my switch.

"I suppose I deserve that." Elena stood up and closed her duffel bag. "Just...please, don't blame this on Stefan. It was my fault."

And with that, Elena walked out and went downstairs, and out the door. And I just stood there, staring at the wall across the room, numbly. Even as I told Elena to go, I told myself I was

making a mistake. But maybe we needed some time, to think things through.

And what she asked me. I would do it. Not because she asked me, but because I knew what she said was true. Stefan didn't want her at all anymore now.

* * *

Stefan

When Elena went outside, I knew it would be the last time in a while. She told Damon. About what she had tried to do to me. And he told her to leave. Arriane was near me, eating a

cookie.

She was practically radiating energy. The way she seemed to glow, and smile. She was still weak, but I believed her about what she said. She would be just fine in the morning.

I stroked her hair with my fingertips. She had lost a lot of blood today, and that was my fault. But she did look better, as she laughed of a joke Bonnie was telling.

I looked up as I watched Damon walking down stairs. He looked sad. I wished there was something I could do. He had done so much for me today.

"Damon." He looked up at Arriane. She stood up, with a cookie between her fingers.

She walked to him, and he watched her, and there was something different in Damon. He wasn't being cold, or funny, or sarcastic. He was being human.

"Would you like a cookie?" Arriane asked and I watched her reach to his hand. To reassure him, to make him feel better. For a moment I thought Damon was going to cry.

Then he smiled, weakly, at Arriane. Then he bit the cookie, and returned it to her.

I turned around and looked at Caroline who was telling a vampire blond joke.

"And then the blond does go a little crazy..." I had missed most of it, but I laughed.

Everyone was laughing too. I ate a cookie and asked Bonnie to pass me the milk. She smiled warmly and said "Arriane is really especial, Stefan. There's something different about her."

Then she pulled a cup into my hand and smiled again, turning to tell something to Caroline.

"Oh, my God. I totally forgot." She said loudly, tossing her hair back. "We could all celebrate Christmas at my place."

"I would like that." I said, and smiled. I hadn't celebrated Christmas in a long time.

Caroline smiled at me. I smiled back and looked back at Damon and Arriane. They were sitting outside, and it was snowing. They were talking to each other.

"Well, do you mind if I tag along?" Rose asked her.

"Of course not." Caroline said graciously.

"But, Caroline, isn't your Mom going to be there?" Bonnie asked.

"Bummer." She said and hit the couch with her fist. "Well, I'm sure we could find somewhere else. Maybe we could do bonfire instead of Christmas tree this year."

I laughed at Caroline's expression and she frowned at me. I laughed again as she hit my shoulder.

"Careful, you'll drop the milk." Rose said to Caroline, laughing.

Then Caroline stood up and so did and I ran to the porch out back, and she was after me. I laughed as she fell on top of me on the floor and stopped dead.

"Caroline, where is Tyler?" I asked her. She stopped giggling immediately and looked toward the woods.

Everything was silent when the howl broke the silence. Caroline and I ran back inside the house.

The wolf howled again and then everything was quiet.


	10. Black Dawn

**Okay, so this chapter is very long. Four pages I think. I hope you guys enjoy and please review because I would like to know if you guys are enjoying it so far. Bye! ;)**

* * *

Stefan

Caroline locked the back door and I watched as Damon locked the front door. Arriane was next to him and she looked frightened. She shivered. Damon looked over at her and turned to

me.

"I'll go get some coats for the girls. It's going to be a cold night." Arriane watched him as he said it, and she smiled. He touched her shoulder gently and made his way upstairs.

She moved closer to me and I tucked her under my arms. She was hugging herself and she looked cold and scared. I looked around the room.

"Let's turn off the light. We should light some candles instead. I don't want Tyler to come closer to us or to call his attention."

I went to turn off the lights outside and watched as Arriane lighted a candle, next to Bonnie. They looked at each other and giggled. Damon came back downstairs.

He had loads of coats in his arms and a huge mattress. It fit everyone in it. He pulled it into the floor of the living room and went to put the fire into the fireplace. Arriane moved closer to

him, and he looked up at her. She was holding a blood bag out for him.

He examined it, and shook his head. "I'm not really hungry tonight." He said softly and pulled the blood bag from her hands, setting it on top of the fireplace.

"I brought you this." He held out a coat for her. It was mine. Damon helped her put her arms under the sleeves and she did a little step in front of him. He laughed and went to take some

coats to Bonnie, Rose and Caroline.

I walked to Arriane and she buried her face against my shoulder. I pulled her to Damon's big mattress and choose the spot that was closest to the cookies. She was getting better, but I

wanted her to eat something. I leaned against the couch and she pulled her face on my chest.

Bonnie was complimenting Damon on the living room camping, as she called it. After talking to her and handing Caroline and Rose their coats, Damon came to lay down next to us.

I yawned. I felt tired, much more than yesterday. Arriane moved to give him space to lie down next to her. I closed my eyes, and felt my vision start to blurry, as I fell asleep, listening to

Arriane's voice.

* * *

Arriane

Damon and I were the only ones that were still awake. Stefan was sleeping on my other side, just like Caroline, Bonnie and Rose.

"I'm sorry about Elena." I said to him, as he watched me. I brushed his arm carefully, and looked up at him. He just stared at me for a while, his face changing. He looked hurt.

"Thank you for caring." Damon said, and then he brushed his fingers against mine. I expected the sarcastic edge on his voice, but there was none.

_If you need someone, I want to be here for you,_ I told him, softly, playing with his trench coat sleeve. He looked at me.

Then he reached to something on the coffee table. A cookie. He took a bite and gave it to me.

"You should eat something. You're still weak." I took the cookie from his hand and bit it.

He smiled encouragingly at me, and I smiled back.

_I'm not a good person. I did so many wrong things to Stefan, you can't even imagine. And maybe I deserve what I got. I never even deserved Elena in the first place. I don't see__ what she sees__ in_

_me._

I just looked at Damon. He was wrecked. I scooted closer to him, and took his hand.

_You'll be fine, _I told him. _She still loves you._

I watched Damon look at me for a second and then he closed his eyes and scooted closer to me.

I brushed my fingers against his shoulder carefully. He was shaking slightly. Shivering.

And then, he fell asleep. He was breathing deeply. I pulled away from him, and held his hand, scooting closer to Stefan.

He twitched and wrapped his arms around me. _Love you, _I heard him say and felt him kiss my forehead.

_I love you too. _I said softly and closed my eyes. And I just hoped Elena and Elijah were okay.

* * *

Elena

I opened my eyes and stared at the ceiling in my room. Everything still looked like it always did.

The window seat facing the back porch, my soft bed, my bear. Everything.

But I was different. I missed Damon. I only realized the huge mistake I had done once I was walking across town, away from the boardinghouse.

He loved me. I loved him. I felt a sudden yearning for him. But I couldn't go there today. He probably needs some time. I knew that it would be hard, because if it was the other way

around, him betraying me with Katherine, I would be so hurt. I would never forgive. All I could do was hope that he would forgive me.

I opened my duffel bag and pulled my diary out. I hadn't written in a while. I walked to the window seat. I opened my diary and grabbed my pen.

And I just sat there. I couldn't think of anything to write. I checked the clock across the room. 6AM.

Damon was probably still asleep. I hadn't been able to sleep all night. I felt so guilty and I missed Damon so much. I wished I hadn't been stupid enough to try to kiss Stefan.

I put my diary and my pen down, and tucked my legs under me. And then I just cried, wishing I could take back what I had done to Damon. I never thought I would be capable of cheating.

I just sat there and rocked myself back and forth, crying.

* * *

Caroline

I stirred, and opened my eyes, glancing around me. Rose was asleep next to Bonnie and Bonnie was holding my hand. Arriane was sleeping between Stefan and Damon. She was holding

Damon's hand and was leaning against Stefan. I smirked.

People always say past doesn't repeat itself. I looked at the three of them. _Or maybe it does._

Then Arriane stirred and her eyes opened. She took Damon's hand carefully from inside hers and placed it on the mattress. Then she sat up and looked at me.

"Morning." She whispered.

"Morning." I said, just as quiet. We stood up and walked to the kitchen. She wasn't as pale as she was last night. She looked normal again.

"You look better." I said softly. She smiled.

"I told you I would be okay." She pulled her phone out and checked the time.

"I'll call Elena. I want to make sure she's okay." She said, fumbling with her phone.

"Good idea." I said. "I'll go downstairs to feed, okay?"

"Yeah." She said and smiled.

I moved through the stairs until I stood in front of the fridge. I opened it and grabbed a blood bag.

* * *

Arriane

I dialed Elijah's number. Then, I heard a phone ring. In the woods. Before I knew what I was doing, I ran into the woods, barefoot.

After I ran for about a minute, the phone stopped ringing. I dialed his number again. It was to my left. I ran and I saw him; there was blood. I could smell that metallic smell.

I kneeled in front of him. His back was all scratched.

Claws, I decided after lifting his shirt. A wolf. Tyler. I looked around all of a sudden, as I heard a sound of movement.

I heard a ruffle of leaves. Then, he walked out between two bushes across from me.

* * *

Stefan

I opened my eyes and found that Arriane wasn't next to me. I expected to feel her here, but I couldn't. I stood up, and looked around. Someone was in the basement. Caroline.

Then she came through the stairs. "Arriane…" She started saying and stopped.

I stood up and walked toward her. "Where is she?"

"I don't know. She said she was going to call Elena. She went outside to use her phone and I went to get some breakfast."

"She's in the woods." I heard Rose say from behind me. I turned to stare at her.

"How do you know?" I asked her, feeling a wave of anger.

"I can hear her. Can't you?" I tried to, and then I heard. Footsteps. She emerged from the woods, carrying someone. I started to move out the door to help her, when she screamed at

me.

"Don't!" She said, breathlessly, her voice sounding desperate. Not like yesterday. She wasn't crying, she was worried. "Tyler's here." She said, and she flew up, her wings unfurling.

"Close the door!" Rose shouted and pushed me out of the way to do it. Damon was up now as well as Bonnie. He looked worried.

Then the front door was thrown open and Arriane walked in. She was still carrying Elijah. She was barefoot, and her hair was full of leaves from the woods. I gaped at her. She still looked

beautiful.

And she didn't look sick. Her skin was back to its normal color and her cheeks looked flushed.

She dragged Elijah to the couch. Then she opened his shirt. Then I saw the scratches on his back; they had been made by claws. Tyler had attacked him.

"Can someone get me some blood?" She said, looking up.

"Here, take mine." Caroline moved closer to Arriane and gave her the blood bag. Then she pulled away as if she expected something to jump at her.

Arriane looked up at Damon and said, breathlessly "Elena's fine. I called her house and her aunt Jenna picked up. She said Elena's in her room."

Then she threw Damon's phone to him. "I burrowed it. Hope you don't mind."

She pulled the blood bag to Elijah's lips. Then she sighed.

"This isn't going to work." She pulled her finger nail into her wrist and made a cut. Then she pulled it closer to Elijah's lips.

"Arriane, don't." I said, through my teeth, moving toward her.

"It's just a little. You can give me your blood if you want, afterwards." And with that, she pressed her wrist and I watched as droplets of blood fell from her wrist. She gave me a feline grin

and I watched as Elijah started to stir.

His eyes flew open and he gasped. We we're silent, just watching him.

Arriane stood back, and I watched her pull her finger over her wrist and heal the cut. I wondered why she hadn't done that yesterday, if she could have.

Then she gave Elijah his blood bag. He stood straighter and took a sip. His face twisted in disgust, but he kept drinking.

Arriane stood up and walked away from the couch. She looked back at Elijah.

"If you want more blood, you can get it in the basement."

Then she moved closer to me and smiled that feline grin again. I felt her voice in my head.

_I need a shower__. I feel dirty_. She looked thoughtfully at me for a minute. _Want to come__?_

I watched her for a second, and brushed my fingers over her cheek. Her face turned serious.

_Come on. _She said, softly_. Come with me._

We made our way upstairs. When I looked back, I noticed that Elijah had been staring at us. Then Arriane pulled me inside my room and into my bed.

* * *

Damon

I was relieved to know that Elena was fine. The scratches on Elijah's back were huge and I was sure Elena wouldn't be able to survive something like that. I wondered about what she

was doing right now. Any sane person would be sleeping…meaning I was kind of crazy. I smirked.

And I caught Caroline looking at me oddly, as if she thought I was crazy. I just smiled back at her and then she shrugged, turning to look at Elijah.

Stefan and Arriane had gone upstairs and I could hear the shower on. And giggles. I smirked.

Then my phone rang in my hand, and I glanced at the screen absent-mindedly. Elena.

"Damon, is everything okay? Aunt Jenna told me you called." She said, once I picked up the phone.

"Yeah, everything is fine. There was just this little…accident, with Tyler. But everything is okay now." I said, glancing at Elijah.

"How is Arriane?" She asked. "Is she better?"

"Yeah, Arriane's fine." I said, distractedly, feeling a stab of hunger. "Listen, I have to go. Call you later." I said, and started making my way downstairs.

Caroline followed me to the basement. "How is she?" She asked.

"She's fine. Alive." I said, and kept moving faster. I wanted to be alone. Why didn't she get it?

She remained silent and grabbed herself a blood bag. We were starting to run low on blood.

"We need to get more." She said, as if reading my mind. "Maybe you could teach me?"

"Yeah." I looked up at her. "We'll go tonight."

She just smiled at me and we remained silent, just feeding.


	11. Darkness

**Okay, so I absolutely loved writing this chapter. It was really fun. I'm hoping you will enjoy it as well.  
**

* * *

Stefan

It was dark outside as we sat on the couch to talk about Tyler. Arriane was sitting between Elijah and me. Damon was sitting on the mattress, cross-legged, next to Rose and Caroline.

Bonnie had gone home, saying she needed to do some homework and that she wanted to see Elena.

"So, why would Tyler still be in wolf form? Isn't it just for the night?" Damon asked.

"Yes." Elijah said, from where he sat next to Arriane. "Unless the curse had been broken. And it hasn't as there's no doppelganger anymore."

"Well, we need more blood. And I would like to go over to my house to reassure my Mom. Damon and I want to go get more blood tonight. What we have won't be enough for two more

days." Caroline said, sounding distressed.

All of a sudden, Arriane stood up. She headed to the door.

"Where are you going?" I asked her.

"Out. Have to see someone." She looked over at me, and then disappeared before I could stop her. I gaped.

"I'm leaving too." Elijah said and stood up.

"What about Tyler?" Rose asked him.

"That puppy won't touch me again. Anyone coming?" He asked, his eyes on Caroline.

"Yeah, thanks." She said and they walked out the door.

Once the door closed behind them, Damon turned to me.

"Is she okay?" He asked and I knew he meant Arriane.

I looked at the door, feeling my throat closing. "I don't know." I said and looked at him.

* * *

Arriane

I walked quickly through the bridge, irritated. I could feel Elijah behind me. Caroline passed me in a blur and then Elijah was at my side.

"Who is it you're going to see?" He asked me.

"Cam. He's coming over to hang out. He's got me a present." I said.

"Interesting." He said, and I felt him move closer to me. "Why are you acting like this?"

He was touching my arms, to make me look at him. I tried to loosen his grip.

"Let go of me. Now." I warned him, as I felt my back starting to tickle.

"Why can't you just tell me?" Elijah asked, gripping me tighter.

"Tell you what?"

"Why you are so pissed off today. Something happened. What?" I felt his intense gaze on mine. I expected him to try to push into my mind, but he didn't.

"_You_ happened. You keep coming around. Like you want something. Why don't you just get what you want and disappear?"

I pulled away from him and my wings unfurled. Then I flew away from him. I didn't want to be near him again. He was making me confuse. Just like he always did.

I had to party and drink and have fun with Cam tonight, so tomorrow I would wake-up with a cloudy hangover and all I would want to do was spend the day indoors with Cam. He was

great company when it came to partying and being hungover together. Otherwise he was just boring and annoying Cam. I looked at the sky. No full moon. Great.

I looked down, at the city. It was covered by snow, like a blanket, all over everything. It looked beautiful, with all the Christmas decoration flashing.

I looked back to the boardinghouse. Elijah was still standing there. I knew he was watching me.

I looked away and sped up. I couldn't think. Thinking was always painful, Cam always said.

This time I actually thought he was right. Thinking could hurt.

After tonight I would be so over Elijah, that I would stumble into the boardinghouse in the middle of the night and Stefan would be there for me. Because he was the one I truly loved. No

matter what I thought now.

I landed perfectly in front of Cam's place, where I had been with Stefan and Elijah the other day.

It was all lit up and it looked beautiful. Cam was great at the party arranging thing. He could make a bash in a day all by himself. Then again, he was angel, so that was normal.

There was a flow of people coming in, with drinks and dressed in fancy dresses.

I couldn't wait to try the Jacuzzi. Cam had told me all about it back at reform school, and I couldn't wait to go in. Maybe it was too cold for a Jacuzzi, but that just meant it would be empty.

I could tell everybody here was human. No supernaturals at all. I wondered what Cam was up to.

Then he walked out, in his usual black clothes. Black sweater and black jeans. He looked beautiful.

I wrapped my arms around his shoulders as he pulled me in for a hug. Normally, I would have refused this kind of contact with Cam, but not today.

"Hello, Arriane." He said when he stepped back. "Missed you back at Sword & Cross this week."

"Anything worth knowing happened?" I asked, winking. He laughed.

"Well, sort of." He said finally. "Daniel and I had a fight." Cam turned to his right side and I saw a fading purple on his cheek. I groaned dramatically.

"Again? But, baby…you know I told you to stop fighting…" I brushed the left side of his face and then hit his shoulder, laughing as I passed him to get into the house.

It was crowded. And really dark. There were flashing colors everywhere and music. Everyone was dancing. I felt Cam's arms around my waist.

And I just turned around and pulled my arms around his neck as we started dancing.

* * *

Caroline

I went straight to Elena's house once I left the boardinghouse. I wanted to make sure she was okay. Not because of the Tyler thing, but because of her break-up with Damon. I knew how

painful it was to lose someone you care about. Even though I still believed Damon and Elena had a chance.

My odds with Matt were so much smaller that I didn't really like to think about him.

I knocked politely on Elena's door and Jenna opened the door. I smiled at her.

"Hi, Jenna. Is Elena in?" I asked, still smiling.

"Yeah, she's in her room with Bonnie, sweetie. Come on in." She said, opening the door fully to me. I smiled and made my way upstairs.

"Hi." I said when I walked into Elena's room. Bonnie smiled at me and Elena tried to.

"So, having a soiree?" I asked, trying to sound cheerful.

"Actually…we were just talking about Damon." Elena said, looking up at me.

I sat next to Elena and put my hand over hers. "He still cares about you." I whispered.

"Yeah…but can he forgive me for what I did? I wouldn't forgive him if it were the other way around." Elena said. I knew what she was talking about. Cheating. That's what she hated the most.

And then Bonnie told a funny joke and the atmosphere dissolved. And just like that, we went on talking and laughing. Just like we used to, before we knew about anything supernatural.

Elena and I switched a glance, and I knew she was thinking exactly like me.

* * *

Stefan

I had paced my room about thirty times when I finally decided to go down stairs for a drink. Arriane hadn't called and wasn't picking up her phone. She and Elijah had left at the same time,

and I didn't want to make conclusions before knowing where she was, but her silence was making me worried.

Not that she was betraying me, that she was upset. When I thought of how Damon dealt with pain, I thought that he would be heartless and angry. Maybe Arriane was the same way,

angry and on edge.

All I wanted was to know that she was fine and safe. I filled a glass with scotch and started pacing around the living room. Damon and Rose were sitting together in the couch. They were

looking at me. Damon looked concerned and Rose seemed to find it amusing.

"Stef, she'll come back. Maybe she just needs some air. She'll be fine. You know Tyler can't hurt her." He said, standing up and filling up a glass of scotch for him.

"Damon, what do you do when you're upset?" I asked him, all of a sudden.

"Why?" He said, suspicious.

"I just want to understand Arriane. The way she acts is just like you when you're upset."

"Okay, so I party when I'm upset and I feed and I drink..you already know that."

"So that's what she must be doing." Rose said, with a careless shrug.

I felt anger surging up inside me and grabbed her neck in a blur, pinning her against a wall.

Then she threw me to the floor, and pressed my neck against the floor. I felt my breath caught and started to choke. Damon was tugging at her and pulling her back.

Then he reached for me. I took his hand and stood up, trying to breath. Damon sighed.

"Look, we have to stay here tonight. We don't know where Tyler is. So you two have to deal."

I smirked. It was strange, Damon being the one to make peace when usually it was me who did that.

I took a quick breath and sat on the couch. Rose remained still, by the window. Damon went to pour himself more whiskey. I just sat there and tried to think of nothing.

Damon sat next to me and offered me a glass of scotch. "Thanks." I said, and drank it quickly.

Then the three of us just stood there, staring at nothing. I sighed. It would be a long night.

* * *

Elena

I was lying in my bed, next to Caroline. Bonnie had left, saying she wanted her own bed, after sleeping over at the boardinghouse. Caroline was breathing softly, asleep. I smiled in the

darkness.

I might be alone, but I still have friends. Caroline and Bonnie. Arriane.

I shifted to look out the window. There was no moon tonight. Everything was really dark. And then, all of a sudden, it started snowing. I moved out of the bed to sit on my window seat.

I always loved snow. It was so beautiful and fluffy and cold. I watched distractedly as it kept falling. I was so distracted, I didn't see the rock hitting my window until it did. I started and

looked at Caroline. She stiffened, but didn't wake-up.

I opened the door, and went the downstairs to talk to him, wondering what he wanted from me.

* * *

Arriane

Cam and I were in his Jacuzzi, throwing water at each other, with other couple that was so drunk they were almost falling asleep. At last they went back to the house to leave.

Cam lit a cigarette and passed it to me. I took a drag and coughed, then handed it back to him.

"Surprisingly, I had fun with you tonight, Arriane." He said, and winked.

"Yeah, I had fun too." I said. "Surprisingly." I threw some water at his face. He laughed and we were back to war again. Somewhere in throughout the splashes of water, he started

tickling me.

And I wriggled, laughing and trying to tickle him. But Cam moved quickly through the Jacuzzi.

We were practically swimming in it and water was splashing out all over the wooden floor near the pool and the Jacuzzi.

Then I finally managed to break his grip and jumped into the pool. And Cam jumped after me. I started swimming away from him, giggling, thrilled.

He grabbed me and started tickling me. And then, it started snowing. In less than a minute the pool looked like there was a blanket of snow on top of the water. I laughed, looking around.

Cam and I looked at each other, just laughing. The snow was getting into my hair and into Cam's.

His green eyes were sparkling with excitement.

Then Cam got out of the pool and then he helped me out. He gave me a towel and went into the house. I followed him, thinking it was time to leave.

I pulled my phone out and dialed Stefan's number. I watched Cam with a smirk as he started to wake up the few people that had fallen asleep in his living room and kick them out.

* * *

Stefan

My phone was ringing in my pocket. Damon, Rose and I were at the Grill, doing some shots and playing some pool. Rose and I had persuaded Damon into coming with us. It was past

midnight when we ran out of both blood _and_ booze. And for once, Rose and I agreed that we had to go out.

Then we just convinced Damon. Wasn't really hard, considering he was bored as hell, just like us.

I reached to my phone and moved away from the pool table, to the bar. I ordered a shot, and picked up my phone. I hadn't even checked the caller ID, but whatever.

"Hello." I said, feeling my head spinning. I was most definitely in for hangover in the morning.

"Stefan, it's me, Arriane." She said, and I could tell she had been drinking as well. I smirked.

"Hi." I said. "Do you want to meet me at the Grill? Damon and I are here with Rose playing pool."

"Sure." Arriane said. "Can I bring my friend Cam?"

"Sure. It's starting to get boring, with those two." I watched as Rose frowned at me, and waved as Damon laughed. We were all so drunk. We had already done four shots, maybe more.

That without counting all that scotch.

"Okay, I'll be right over." She hung up and I did the shot, then walked back to the pool table.

"So, Arriane's coming?" Damon asked me, grinning.

"Yup." I looked over at Rose. "She's bringing a friend to keep this one busy."

Rose hit my shoulder and I groaned dramatically, then Damon and I laughed.

Damon asked more shots as I Rose and I started playing against each other, to decide who would get Arriane on their team.

* * *

Arriane

Cam and I walked into the Grill around 2AM. I saw Stefan first thing. The place was really empty.

He pulled me in for a hug. And then he swayed. He was drunk. Just like Damon and Rose, who were standing behind him.

I nodded at Cam and said "This is my friend, Cam. Cam, this is Damon, Rose and Stefan."

Cam looked at Stefan and Damon curiously, then his eyes fell on Rose. And he smiled.

"Can I buy you a drink?" He asked her and winked at me.

I rolled my eyes and pulled Stefan closer to me. I opened my eyes to look at Damon. He had that hurt look again. I pulled away from Stefan and nearly crashed into Damon. I laughed.

I looked at Cam across the room, wondering if those cigarettes we had shared all night were really regular cigarettes. He looked innocently back at me. I frowned.

"So, shouldn't this place be closed already?" I asked, looking around at all the empty tables.

"Yeah, but Damon compelled the bartender into letting us stay in after hours."

Damon winked wickedly at us, and I laughed. Cam was already kissing Rose's neck.

"Whoa, they're fast." Damon said, nodding in their direction.

Stefan and I smirked distractedly at them. Damon laughed.

Then the door was thrown open and a blond woman in a uniform came in. Her hair was cropped and I could swear she looked like Caroline. She looked like a cop.

We just stood frozen, looking at her. Even Cam and Rose had stopped kissing. Rose climbed down the counter and swallowed. Stefan, Damon and I just stared.

"Look, Liz, I can explain." Damon said looking at the woman. His eyebrows furrowed.

"Or…maybe I can't." He said finally frowning.

"Let me just escort you home. Clearly you can't drive. You can come pick up your car in the morning." Stefan and I locked arms and walked to the doorway with Damon. Rose and Cam were

walking behind us.

* * *

Damon

Just the word 'morning' coming from Liz's mouth made me flinch. In the morning I would be totally hangover. I could already feel my head aching at the thought of looking at the sun. Ugh.

We got home around 3AM, as Liz dropped us off at the bridge. We walked really slowly and really quietly. We were all contemplating our horrible hangover.

When I finally unlocked the door and started walking to the bar, I groaned.

"Shit." I said, annoyed.

"What?" Stefan asked, looking distractedly at me. Rose and Cam were lying down on the mattress that had remained there all day.

"We're out of blood. And booze."

Stefan sighed. "We can get more booze in the morning." He said and reached to his forehead.

"I'm going to bed." Stefan said, as he and Arriane walked through the stairs.

"Night." I said, absent-mindedly, as I tried to find some drop of booze on my last bottle of scotch. I sighed miserably.

"Just give up already and come to bed." Rose said impatiently and patted the spot next to her.

I sighed again and just lay down next to her.

* * *

Elena

I was sitting on the front porch with Elijah, of all people. It was past 1AM and I wanted my bed.

"Are you going to keep stalling or are you going to tell me what you want from me?" I said, with a yawn. I was too tired to even be irritated.

He was quiet for a while. Then he swallowed. "What do you do when you fall for someone who doesn't want you at all?"

That question snapped my attention back to him. I gaped. Then I composed myself as he remained serious. I half expected him to say 'Caught you!' or something like that.

When he didn't, I said "Well…you either move on or…fight for them. I don't know."

I rubbed my eyes sleepily. "Maybe you should ask Damon. He managed to steal me from Stefan so you might be able to get something from him." I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Who are we talking about?" I asked, suspicious.

"Not anyone you know. I just loved this girl a long time ago and I wanted to have her back, but she's moved on." He said, absent-minded.

I felt my face softening. "Is she a vampire girl?"

"Not exactly." He said. I frowned. All vampires were mysteries. Even now that I was one, I couldn't figure them out. I stood up.

"I have to go to bed. Sorry for not being able to help you." I walked inside and locked the door behind, then looked up. But he was gone.

* * *

Elijah

I stood in front of Stefan's window. I could see the bed and Arriane. She twitched again and again, agitated. She was lying over Stefan's shoulder.

I just kept staring at her. She looked beautiful. I thought about what she said to me earlier today.

I knew I was making her miserable, but I couldn't stay away from her.

Like she said, I kept coming back. When that werewolf attacked me, I was distracted, thinking about what I had done to her. I never knew what I had done.

I turned off my switch and let it go. I didn't give it much thought, until I saw her at the Grill, playing pool. That reminded of what I had lost.

And then I had found her. In the woods, with Damon. I made him pass out and then compelled her.

I didn't make her do anything. I just carried her to the roof of Damon's car. And then I left.

I jumped down to the garden and disappeared toward town in a blur of speed.


	12. The Morning After

Damon

I opened my eyes, and looked around the living room. Sun was streaming through the curtains. I moved to close them slowly, every move sending pain to my skull. And then I just fell face

down on the mattress, next to Rose, thinking that I could just lie here forever.

I groaned, thinking that today I had to go to the blood bank _and _a bar. I sighed with annoyance, then smiled carelessly. I'll just put Caroline on it. Newbies do have their purpose after all.

And then I heard the living room phone. Fuck. People don't even let you sleep these days.

I poked Rose's back. "Rose, go pick up the phone, would you? I have a killer headache."

She groaned, but then stood up. I smiled and then closed my eyes.

"You'll pay me for this." Rose said and I smirked.

"What the hell would you want this time in the morning, Elijah?" She asked after she picked up the phone, angrily.

"I have a headache and you call me early in the morning. Idiot!" She went on, angrily, without letting him utter a sound. I smirked again against my pillow.

"I just wanted to know if that stupid puppy came around again." He said calmly after she let him.

"No. I don't know." She rubbed her forehead wearily. "We weren't in last night. We went out, a while after you left with Caroline. We met up with Arriane and her friend at the Grill."

The other end of the line remained quiet for a while.

"So, do you want anything else, Elijah?" She asked pointedly, sighing.

"No, that's it. If he comes around, call me. He could hurt you."

"Why would you give a toss if it hurts me?" She asked, in a normal tone of voice.

"Arriane likes you. I don't understand why but she does." I looked up when he said this, interested.

Rose turned to look at me. She looked surprised.

"Well, why do you care about she feels?" Rose asked slowly, looking at me.

"Because she knows how to kill me and I want to remain on her good side." Elijah said, simply.

I groaned in annoyance. I had the trouble of lifting my head to listen to something interesting. I lay against the pillow again. Then I heard as Rose turned off the phone. Then she fell next

to me.

I wanted to ask her what she thought about Elijah's strange interest on Arriane, but that could wait until my head stopped aching and I had a blood bag.

* * *

Caroline

I walked to the boardinghouse to get my car. I had totally forgotten about him. With vampire speed, who needs cars anyway? I thought breezily, smiling. I was in a good mood, there was

snow all over the place, and the sun was making everything look glassy. I loved winter, and Christmas.

I loved exchanging presents. I unlocked the front the door of the boardinghouse with the spare key Stefan gave me and looked around.

Rose, Damon and this guy I didn't know were sleeping in that comfortable mattress on the floor. Stefan and Arriane were probably upstairs in Stefan's room. Elena was still asleep when I

left, but I expected to find Damon awake, so we could get more blood.

And then I had to stifle my gasp. The blood bags were all over the couch, empty. Could we be out already? I expected it to last at least one more day. I looked over at the guy on the

couch.

Maybe he was a vampire as well. Elijah had blood yesterday, Rose, Stefan, Damon and I did too.

I sighed and went down stairs to make sure I was right. And then I screamed.

* * *

Elena

I woke-up, feeling hungry. I hadn't fed yesterday. Things were kind of blurry. I had seen Elijah. He had asked me some weird question about love. So weird.

I looked around. Caroline was gone. I didn't really feel like getting out of bed, but I was hungry. I had to feed-now.

I stood up and went downstairs. Jenna was already making breakfast. Waffles. Hm.

Not as good as blood, but that would do for now. I smiled at her when she looked at me.

"Elena." She said, sounding surprised. "I didn't expect to see you up so early."

I studied her face. She looked a little flushed. And it wasn't hot. It was cold.

Then I heard footsteps and Alaric appeared. "Hey, Jenn…" He said, and went quiet once he saw me.

I smiled politely. "I can tell I'm interrupting, so I'll go upstairs to change. Want to check in at the Lockwood property to help with the Christmas decorations for the bash."

I could tell Jenna wanted to apologize, but my throat was starting to ache and I had to leave now, before I did something I would regret.

I headed out the door and into the morning breeze. It felt amazing to me. It was cold, and yet warm.

I rolled my eyes at that and walked toward my car, breezily.

* * *

Bonnie

I was waiting for Elena to arrive at my house. She was late. We had schedule to meet at 10AM.

And then I saw her car as she pulled up on the driveway. I shouted goodbye to Mom and went out the door.

"Hi." Elena said and smiled. Then her face looked apologetic. "Sorry I'm late. Woke-up a little later than planned." Her face turned into a sucking-lemon face and I laughed.

"What happened?" I asked her.

"Well… I saw Alaric in his underwear. I think he spent the night. Ew." Elena said, sounding childish and cheerful. I grinned at her and took her hand.

Then I watched as her face changed. She was looking at my hand…the vein on my wrist.

And her eyes were changing…like they change when vampires are hungry.

I pulled my hand away and looked at her. "Elena. Elena." I repeated as she kept staring at my hand.

At last she looked up and her face returned to normal. I sighed, relieved. The last thing I wanted was to use my witch thing on her.

"I'm sorry, Bonnie." She said, looking apologetic and reaching to touch my hand. I tried not to recoil. "I just…I didn't have time to feed this morning…I'm so sorry, Bonnie."

"That's okay." I said shakily, taking a deep breath, then smiling at her.

But I still felt the cold feeling inside me. Today was the full moon and the Christmas fund-raiser. Tomorrow was Christmas. For some reason, I thought it would be an ugly Christmas this

year.

* * *

Damon

After I heard that scream, I got up and ran to the basement. Caroline was standing there, staring at the floor. There was a vampire there. At first, I thought she was dead. And then she

twitched.

There was a huge bite on her shoulder. I sighed grimly. Tyler. He had done this.

Then Rose came up behind me with Stefan, Cam and Arriane. She gasped.

"Oh, my God…" She said, sobbing and reaching to the corpse on the floor. "Lily!" She shouted.

And then, the girl turned around. And she ran toward Cam and Arriane who were standing behind Stefan and Caroline. Cam moved to protect Arriane and then a pair of wings—actual

wings—unfolded from his back and him and Arriane flew upwards. His wings were black, and hers were white, with a golden color around them.

Behind Cam's eyes, I could see a spark of blue, and behind Arriane's I could see the sparks of violet.

Stefan sighed in relief as we just stared at them, mesmerized. Stefan didn't look surprised at all.

_He knew__, _I thought suddenly. He knew about what she was. Only one word came to my mind, even though it felt hard to believe. They were angels.

My attention snapped back to Lily, as she kept snapping at the wind trying to jump toward them. Her eyes were bloodshot and the wound on her arm was huge, and it seemed to be

growing and spreading through her body. Now what Isobel's research said finally made sense.

I moved up stairs. I had to call Rick. He would either find me a cure or we would have to kill her.

Or at least he could tell me the symptoms. Maybe we could ask Elijah. Rose was trying to soothe the girl.

"Rose, we have to go upstairs. You can't stay here. It's not safe." Stefan said, looking at Lily wearily. She growled at him, clutching closer to Rose.

"He's right, Rose." Caroline said, pleading. "Please come with us, please."

Rose's face looked uncertain, when Lily snapped at her neck. Rose jumped back, clutching her neck.

"Go upstairs." Arriane said, and looked at Cam. He nodded at her. "We'll take care of her."

I dragged Stefan upstairs before he could object and locked the door behind us.

* * *

Arriane

Cam and I had grabbed the girl and locked her behind the little cage that was there. She was weak and she wouldn't be able to get out.

Cam looked at me. I was so disgusted with we had done. I didn't want to leave her there.

Suddenly, I felt a wave of nausea and threw up on the floor. Cam was holding my hair away from my face as I threw up. I put my hand over my mouth.

"Thanks." I said, softly and stood up. "You can go upstairs. I'll clean this up."

I watched as Cam walked upstairs and closed the door. I grabbed a mop and passed over everything and threw some scent over it. All clean.

"Thank you." The girl said, from inside the cage.

"You're welcome." I said and made my way upstairs, then glance back, feeling guilty.

There's no other way, until we know the cure. I walked out and locked the door behind me.

* * *

Damon

After I had called Alaric and told him about the bitten girl sleeping in the basement, he said he would see what he could do.

Stefan had Arriane tucked under him, and Rose was weeping nearby, rocking herself back and forth. Cam was sitting next to me and he looked distracted. Caroline was sitting next to him,

looking distracted as well. Arriane moved out of Stefan's grasp and went to seat closer to Rose, wrapping her arms around her as she cried.

Stefan watched her for a while, then stared blankly at the wall across the room. I sighed hugely, wishing we had booze as I felt a wave of hunger.

With this girl in here and Tyler out there, it was absolutely impossible to go on a trip to the blood bank and I was already hungry. It was also dangerous to go hunting.

Caroline stood up and walked to the door.

"Where do you think you're going?" I asked her, seating back, lazily.

"I have to meet Bonnie and Elena at the Lockwood property. There's the Christmas bash tonight, remember?" She said and glanced at her phone. "Elena's already sent me ten texts about

it."

"Okay, you go ahead. Just make sure to ask if Tyler's missing." I said and watched as she walked out the door. I sighed.

"Today is going to be so much fun." I said dramatically and watched as everyone's eyes turned on me. I glanced at Stefan.

"What do you mean?" He asked, with his brooding expression on.

"Well, today there's another full moon, and there's the Lockwood bash, like Caroline said. And we're going to have to hunt. It's not a good time to go to the blood bank _or _to hunt. And

we're out of booze. Mostly we're screwed. Tyler's on the loose, and he'll turn tonight if he's not already in wolf form, sleeping somewhere." I finished and took a deep breath.

My eyes flickered to Arriane. "Unless our babe here is willing to pay Elijah a visit."

Her eyes widened at me and Stefan turned to look at her. She looked back at me, and I watched as Rose looked at me, her eyes still with tears. Then both her and Arriane stood.

"We'll get Elijah." Arriane said, looking Stefan. "Stay _here._" She looked pointedly at Stefan and they went out the door, to Arriane's car.

_Don't let him go anywhere._ Arriane thought to me. _Please._

Cam looked at the spot where she had disappeared and then his expression turned thoughtful.

I watched him, wondering if he knew what Arriane's game was.

* * *

Elena

Bonnie was across the room from me, filling a Christmas tree with decorations. She had been trying to stay away from me all morning.

Across the room, Tyler was working with his Mom. I studied his back, wondering how he could have suddenly become dangerous to me. Then Caroline crossed the doorway breathlessly.

Tyler turned to stare at her and she grasped my arm dragging me outside, and shot Bonnie a look that practically screamed at her to follow. She pulled away from the tree and walked out,

shouting at Mrs. Lockwood "We're going for a walk. We'll be back soon!"

After about five minutes of walking, Caroline stopped and took a deep breath.

"We need to keep this bash from happening." She said, after a while.

"_What?_" Bonnie and I asked together.

"Why?" I asked. Caroline looked totally serious.

"Tyler bit a girl. She ended up in Damon's basement and I found her. And there's another full moon _tonight_. As well as the Christmas bash. Can't you see what that means?" She asked.

Bonnie and I looked blankly back at her. "That means we could get _killed_!" Caroline said breathlessly.

We just stood, watching each other quietly. Wind whipped my hair around and the sun moved behind a cloud.

* * *

Arriane

I parked on an open field and Rose and I got out of the car. I pulled my phone out and looked at her.

"Here's perfect." I told her and dialed Elijah's number.

"Hi." He said, softly. "Is everything okay?"

"Not really." I said and looked up at the sky. "There's another full moon tonight, and we need more blood. There's also a bash in town tonight. A _Lockwood_ Christmas bash. Full of dinner

and desert for Tyler. And there's a girl in the basement who's been bitten by him."

"Well, if you want to know if there's a cure, I don't know what it is." He said.

"Okay. So what are the symptoms?" I asked, not sure I wanted to know.

"Bloodlust, dementia…loads of pain…" He trailed off. I could tell he didn't want to go further.

"So, what do you think we should do?" I whispered, feeling like crying. We were so screwed.

"I'll go over to help out." Elijah said gently. "But we have to kill that girl, Arriane. We can't have her running around town. Tyler's already going to be bad enough."

I swallowed. "But…there has to be a way to help her…please, Elijah."

"I don't know how to help her. If I did, I would tell you. But I just..don't."

"Klaus does." I whispered, quietly. Rose started behind me at his name.

"Yes, but you're not going to him." Elijah's voice sounded hard now. "We don't even know there is a cure. It's not worth risking your life for nothing."

"You know I can't die. And if he doesn't answer me, I'll kill him." I told him coldly.

"You are not going." He said fiercely.

"Yes, I am. You don't boss me around." I said, just as fierce.

"Just do me a favor. Don't let them out of the house tonight." I said, and pressed the off button.

I turned around to look at Rose. "You should go back to the boardinghouse. You'll be safer there. You can take the car."

"Will you be okay?" She asked, her hand on the door handle.

"Yes. I'll just get some people to help me get to Klaus." I smiled sweetly at her.

"Just keep them safe for me and wait for Elijah."

"Why do you trust him?" Rose whispered.

"He's very different from what he seems to be. You have no idea." I said, and my wings unfurled as I flew away from her.

* * *

**I hope you guys liked the chapter and please remember to review! :)**


	13. Moonlight

Stefan

After Arriane left with Rose, I had started getting sulky and annoyed. I was sitting on the couch, with Damon, who wasn't making me feel any better. He was sulking over Elena and the

fact that we didn't have booze and couldn't get any.

It was almost night. The Lockwood ball was set to start at 7 PM. The screams of that girl downstairs weren't making my headache better either.

Then Cam's phone rang, next to him. He picked it up and went outside. I straightened my ears.

"_Mom_ wants to see you now. We have a last minute meeting today. Where the fuck are you?"

"Small town." I could practically hear him shrug. "What is the meeting about?"

"Well, she wants us to go to Kerli and tell her to pay for what she did. Mom is really pissed about her. And she ordered you to come. She called you yesterday, remember? We're going to

meet up at Sword & Cross. Me, Daniel…Ash…you. And…Ellie, too."

"Gabbe, I'll be there. Promise. I know this is serious." His voice turned somber and Damon and I turned to look at each other, eyes narrowing.

And then, Cam came back in and moved to the door. We just stared.

"I have to go. My sister wants my help to do this thing for our Mom. See you around."

And then him and Rose nearly crashed into each other in the doorway.

"Fucking hell." Rose muttered, under her breath. She rubbed her forehead.

"Sorry." Cam said and they stood there for a second. Then Cam was out the door, giving the help-my-sister excuse again to Rose. Then she walked in and looked at me.

"Arriane's going back to reform school. She said Elijah's coming to help us out with the girl and the Tyler Lockwood issue. Everything will be fine."

"Did she say when she's coming back?" I asked.

"No. But she wants to. It's just one of her friends, James, I think is in trouble. She's going back to school to help him. But she'll come back, Stefan, once it's safe."

"So, is Elijah bringing us blood?" Damon asked, sitting back against the couch.

"Yeah." Rose said and smiled at him. I stood up and made my way upstairs.

I grabbed my diary and my spare pen and started to write.

* * *

Arriane

I was sitting next to Gabbe in the main hall of Sword & Cross, waiting for Ash and Daniel to come around. We were giggling, pretending that everything was fine.

Then Cam came in through the front door, just as Daniel and Ash came down the hall.

"Hello, boys." Gabbe said, standing up, and winking at them. I smiled. I had missed her soft voice and southern accent. "I'm hoping you guys planned a peace treaty for tonight?"

"What choice do we have, Gabbe?" Cam said sarcastically and came closer to her, drawing a random pattern on the base of her throat.

Daniel and Ash looked amused. We looked at each other as Cam leaned in to kiss her and she slapped him. I let out a little giggle. Cam looked at me, then sighed, pulling away from

Gabbe.

"I'm sure not going to get you tonight, either, will I, Arriane? You're already with someone."

"Yes, which is why we're doing this. Move your ass, Cam. We're meeting Klaus at 9 o'clock. It's already 8." I moved closer to him, and batted my eyelashes. He winked, amused.

And then we walked out the door, and into different cars. Cam, Ash and I went to Ash's car. Daniel and Gabbe went to Cam's car. Cam looked over at Daniel from the passenger seat. I

was sitting in the back and Ash was driving.

"If you wreck her, Grigori, I'll kill you." He said, pointing to Daniel.

"Whatever, Cam." Daniel said and rolled his eyes.

And then in a second, we just left. I felt the night air, and the snow started to fall inside the car. Cam's and Ash's convertibles were both silvery, just like mine and in the same model.

Maybe it was just an angel thing. Or maybe the three of us had the same taste.

Truth is, I was fond of both of them, but if I had to choose, I would choose Daniel and Gabbe. They were true friends, not just good to party with, like Cam and Ash.

I looked up and saw the moon. It looked huge and brighter than I had ever seen it. Even though it looked beautiful, it didn't mean anything that was good. It meant werewolves.

I drifted, worrying about Stefan, Damon…Caroline. And then I started thinking about the different kinds of supernaturals I knew. Angel, vampire, witch…kitsune…My head snapped up and

Cam looked at me. I stared him down and took a deep breath.

"Cam, where is your fox, Misao?" I asked him.

"I think she's in Japan with her brother. Why?"

"Because we need her. She's going to have to do us a favor."

"What favor would that be, Arriane?" Ash asked me, grimly.

"She'll have to turn a vampire back into human for us." I said, and winked mischievously at him.

* * *

Elena

By the time night fell, I was so hungry, I just had to get away from here. There were too many humans. My eyes landed on a girl, with long hair, with twisting waves. She was pretty, but

somehow I was disgusted by her, as if she stank. I resisted the urge to scowl and sniffle her. I took a deep breath and looked around for Caroline and Bonnie.

I walked toward them and all of a sudden, someone touched my shoulder. The pretty girl that stank.

"Hey, sweetie. Did you see Tyler? I'm looking for him." She said with a smile.

"Why do you want to know?" I asked, suspicious.

"Oh, sorry. I'm Jules. I'm a friend of Mason's? I'm just looking for him." She said, looking embarrassed. I stared at her.

"Where do you know Mason from?" I asked her briskly, recovering. Now I was curious.

"Oh, we shared a place together in Florida." I raised my eyebrows at that and examined her face.

"Well, Tyler's not here now. He's not coming for the celebration tonight. He was acting so strange!"

"Well, do you know where he went?" She persisted and I could feel her annoyance.

"Oh, no, not really, sorry. I tried to convince him to stay, but he said something about the moon and left. So random. Everyone's just acting so weird today." I said briskly and smiled

innocently at her.

And I noticed the change. She looked toward the sky, toward the moon and bit her lip. She looked around then back at me.

"Well, thank you for your time. I'll just look for him later. See you." She waved and walked away.

Somehow, as I watched her go, I knew what she was. As I spotted Caroline and she saw the somber look on my face, she got Bonnie and we got my car to drive to the boardinghouse.

On the way, I told them that there would be two werewolves on the loose tonight, not one. They just gaped at me, disbelieving. I drove faster, not caring about traffic laws tonight.

* * *

Damon

I sucked at the blood bag hungrily. I was so desperate by time Elijah came by, I was actually thinking of eating squirrel. Disgusting, but I had been really hungry.

Stefan and Rose were sucking at their blood bags distractedly. Hungrily.

I heard a key on the door and looked up. Bonnie, Caroline and Elena came in.

Elena sat next to Stefan and grabbed the blood bag that was next to him. He seemed like he wanted to object, but he just shrugged.

Caroline took a deep breath and looked at me. "We have a problem."

"What?" I asked with annoyance, pulling the blood bag away from my lips.

"There's another werewolf in town tonight." Bonnie told me, in a matter-of-fact tone.

I just gaped at her, then said "Who is it?"

"Her name is Jules. She's here for Mason. She was looking for Tyler at the bash, and apparently she forgot that she's supposed to turn tonight." Elena said, in between sips.

"Yeah, well, we'll be fine. We have blood for a whole month now." Rose said, looking up. "Don't you want some?" She asked Caroline.

"No, thanks, I had some squirrel today, you know, just in case." She said, with a smile.

I finished my blood bag and noticed that Caroline was hungry. She was trying to make Bonnie feel comfortable, as we were all feeding. I touched her arm.

"Look, she's your friend. You're hungry and you have to feed. You can't go hunting today."

I pulled a blood bag into her hand. "Take a lot, Elijah was very generous." I said, and winked.

I poured myself a glass of scotch and nearly choked after sipping it. Vervain.

Stefan looked at me. I went to get another blood bag. Then a thought struck me.

"How did wolf girl look like, anyway?" I asked, thinking of someone I had seen asking people about Mason at the Grill, when I had been there to get some scotch.

Everyone looked up at me, even Elena who was so focused on her blood bag, I thought she was going to swallow the blood and the bag.

"Well, her hair was sort of auburn." Caroline started helplessly, looking over at Elena.

I looked around and sighed. Tyler and Jules. Wolf girl and wolf boy. Perfect.

"Yes, well, she was at the Grill when I bought these." I said, gesturing to the bottle of scotch.

"Are you suggesting she put vervain in them and you didn't notice?" Stefan asked.

"Who else do you think it could have been, Stef?" I asked him sarcastically and everyone fell silent, as we just stared at each other.

* * *

Arriane

We parked the cars on a part of the road where no one would see it and looked at each other. Our wings unfurled in sync and we flew toward Cam's adoptive parents' state. The place

where we had the party. We remained silent until we landed there, perfectly.

Klaus stood with his back to us, staring at the house. We just stood, watching his back.

"Hello, Arriane." He said and turned around.

"Hello, Klaus." I said, trying to keep from shouting at him. "You haven't changed a thing."

"Yes, I suppose you're right," he said, studying Gabbe. "Neither have you."

"We need some information. We'll trade the doppelganger for what we want to know."

He looked amused. "I know the doppelgangers are both vampires now."

"Yes, but we can change Katerina back into human. We know someone who could do the job."

Cam said and his green eyes locked with mine for a brief second before he looked back to Klaus.

"That is a fair trade. What do you want?" He asked, looking at each of us, and stopping on me.

"How can you cure a werewolf bite, Klaus?" Gabbe asked, arching her eyebrows.

"I won't tell unless I have a safe way of knowing I'll get my way." He said.

"Do you really know it or are you playing us?" Daniel asked him and I felt energy radiating from him. Manipulation. He was using it on Klaus.

Klaus growled. "What are you doing to me?" He screeched.

"We're getting what we want, babe." I said, moving closer.

We were working in sync, dragging it out of him. Soon he wouldn't stand the yearning to tell us and then he would. Like a helpless kitten. I grinned.

"Okay…I'll tell you, just please stop." He begged, looking up.

"No." I said, softly. "Can't do until you tell us. If I were you, I would get on with it."

"Okay…you need th-the blood of the werewolf who the bite came from…you need to drink that and…seal the wound with aconitum, which is the same as wolfsbane. And that's it. Now,

please stop." He was nearly crying now. I felt an urge to stop. But I couldn't. He had to die.

"Go on, Cam." I said softly and watched as he moved forward with Ash and the special stake, the only thing that could kill a Vampire Elder. A white ash stake.

"I wish we could keep you to break the curse, but that won't do." I said and smiled. I felt better about this. He would kill Stefan, Elena, Damon…Caroline…everyone, if we let him go. We

couldn't risk it. We just couldn't.

"No, no, please…please, don't….I'll do anything, anything!" He was shouting loudly.

Daniel, Gabbe and I were still manipulating his mind. I knew how we looked like now.

When we used our powers, or our wings, our eyes shone in different colors. Mine shone in violet, Cam's in gray, Daniel's in blue. Gabbe's and Ash's in gold.

I glanced at Daniel and Gabbe. Gabbe was all golden and even though her wings were tucked inside her back just like mine's and Daniel's she had a glow on the shape of her wings. Like

me and like Daniel. That was just an angel thing. Humans couldn't see it. Vampires could, and some witches could. It was just something we did. I looked back at Klaus, as Ash and Cam

stabbed him again and again with the stake.

Once he was grayish, the way vampires looked after we put a stake through their heart, I moved closer to the body. Cam and Ash looked up.

"We need to burn the body. Make sure he doesn't come back. Then we bury him."

"We'll do it." Cam said, nodding. "Can we party in town afterwards?"

"Yeah. Just be careful so you don't get a love bite from a werewolf." I said, winking. "I hear their quite popular here." I smiled at him in excitement. I felt lighter now that Klaus was gone.

Then Gabbe came to wrap her arms around my waist, laughing. "Come on, let's help them set the fire. Can't wait to see that bitch burn." She said, bouncing up and down.

Daniel laughed and came to stand next to me, as Ash, Gabbe and Cam started to work on the body.

We smiled at each and he wrapped an arm around me.

"I hear you've gotten yourself a vampire boyfriend." He said, casually.

"Yeah. He's a cutie." I said, smiling at him, and batting my eyelashes.

"I look forward to meeting him." I looked at him.

"Sure." I said. "He survived Cam, I'm sure he'll handle you just fine."

We just looked at each other. Daniel was beautiful, but I wasn't interested in that from him. We were best friends. We would always be. He was the reason to my craziness. We belonged

together.

We just stood there and watched as the fire grew, into the sky. The moon was huge and silvery over our heads. It was snowing. We just stood, feeling the heat of the fire.

* * *

**Okay, there's a few things I want to say. About my inspiration for some characters and some other stuff I forgot to mention in the beginning. **

**The things about how to kill Klaus, and the kitsune foxes are from the Vampire Diaries book series. I read all the books and I do like the show better. I think of the two of them as**

**different things, not two versions of the same. If you read all the books, you'll know what I'm talking about. If you're didn't, you'll know more once you read the next chapter.**

**And Arriane, Cam, Gabbe and Daniel and most of the details about them and their names are entirely by Lauren Kate, author of the Fallen book series. Ash was inspired by a**

**character by L. J. Smith on her Night World book series. I own nothing.**

**Also sorry for taking so long to post the new chapter. I ran out of inspiration.**


	14. The Curse

**So sorry for taking so long to post the new chapter. But I have two chapters at once, to make it up for the wait. I was thinking these we're going to be the last two chapters but **

**there's more. I'm already working on chapter 16.**

* * *

Arriane

I was leaning against Cam's shoulder on the back of Ash's convertible. Gabbe was sitting on my other side, asleep. Cam wasn't sleeping; he was looking dreamy and distracted.

Daniel and Ash were taking care of the driving. We would probably get to Mystic Falls before dawn. Cam yawned.

I looked at Daniel. He was driving and Ash was sleeping next to him. He looked back at me. I wondered about why he was looking concerned. Then I felt his thoughts in my head.

_Is Elijah doing anything to you? _He asked me, and looked back to the road.

_No. Why would he?_

_He wants you back, _Daniel whispered into my head.

_He can't really have that, _I said, trying to sound certain.

_Arriane, do you still want him?_

_No! Why are you asking me that? After all he did, I said I would never forgive him._

_But you did. I know you've been seeing him. A lot of him. He wants the girls, doesn't he? The Petrova doppelgangers. And he wants you._

_Well, the Petrova doppelgangers are not worthy of him anymore. They're not human. Damon and Trevor made sure of that. You know that._

_Is that why you want to get Misao to come? You want her to turn Katerina back into human, don't you? For…Stefan._

_He's in danger, Dan. And if the werewolves break the curse first, they'll be able to turn whenever they want, whether there's a full moon or not._

_But you want Elijah's help. Why do you?_ I could practically see his eyes widening thoughtfully at me. We knew each other too well and that was the problem. We could never keep anything

from each other. No matter how much we tried.

_He's useful. He wants that. To break the curse. That's why I worked with him in the first place. To break the curse, remember? Capture Katerina._

_That failed and I know you helped Katerina Petrova escape her death. You gave her the moonstone. You wanted to save her. You cared about Trevor and you did it for him._

_I did it for her. Because she had something I wanted, _I said unwillingly.

_What did you want? _He turned fully to me now, and his were silvery.

_Nothing. Katerina is just __a good ally to have. _I willed him into not realizing the truth behind everything.

_You wanted…Elijah to yourself. You wanted to stop hunting for Katerina and just disappear with him. _His voice sounded hushed and faraway. He was right. He was bringing it all back.

_Daniel, stop it… _I clutched closer to Cam and felt his eyes on me. He looked at Daniel.

_You went to New York. Abandoned Klaus, without Katerina and the moonstone…you stole them from him. You and Elijah spent years in New York, until Klaus finally found you._

I started sobbing, and Cam pulled me into his chest. "Daniel, that's enough. You can stop now."

Ash and Gabbe were awake now, and they looked confused. They were looking between Daniel and Cam.

_And then…he killed your sister. You blamed Elijah and you left him. What Klaus wanted to achieve. He wanted you to suffer. He knew about what you did. He killed someone you loved…because he _

_couldn't kill you. So, you disappeared…and then Elijah found you again._

_NO! That's not true…that never happened. That never happened. That never happened…_

I pushed Cam out of the way and pulled the door open, unfurling my wings. I couldn't be with him.

He read me better than anyone, and I should have known he would figure everything out.

After a while of flying, when I could see the road that went to the boardinghouse, I stopped flying and just ran to the boardinghouse, to Stefan, crying.

* * *

Damon

I was swirling the scotch around and around my glass, and staring blankly at a wall across the room. Elena was lying on my legs, where there was a pillow. She was asleep. I set my glass

on the table, and started playing with a lock of her hair absent-mindedly.

Stefan was sitting in a chair across the room and staring blankly at nothing. Caroline and Rose were asleep, curled up in each other's arms on the other side of the couch. Bonnie was

upstairs, sleeping in Stefan's room. I glanced at the clock.

It was already midnight. I looked at Stefan. Even though he looked blank, I knew he was counting each second for Arriane to arrive. He checked his phone every five minutes.

And then, all of a sudden, he stood up. He walked to the door, and I wanted to stand and go after him. Instead, I stood still, and alert.

And then he and Arriane stumbled inside. They were kissing. And practically ripping each other's clothes out of the way. I smirked.

"You can use my room." I told them and winked.

"Thank you." Stefan said breathlessly as the two of them stumbled through the stairs. I smirked again. Then my eyes landed on Rose. She was watching them with a smirk.

Her eyes turned on me and we just stared at each other for a long time. Then, slowly, I drifted and fell asleep.

* * *

Arriane

I woke up at 5AM. I knew they were coming soon. I could feel Daniel and Cam around. I was hurt.

Maybe Daniel meant well, but he just made it worst. I don't want to feel anything about Elijah. But he was making it harder.

I moved to the door and opened it, walking outside. I sighed. I could see the car. Cam was the one driving now. I took a cigarette from my pocket.

I never smoked or anything, but things were going downhill from here. I had to see Elijah. If I didn't get to him, he would get to me, like it always happened between us.

Cam parked in front of the boardinghouse, and got out of the car. Everyone else was asleep. I knew he wanted to talk right away, so I led the way to the back of the boardinghouse.

I held out my cigarette for him to finish it. It always made me nauseated after a few drags. Pot was better.

He took a drag and looked at me. "You want them both, don't you?"

"Sort of." I said. "You know, Elijah and I were never truly done. We always came back to each other over the years."

I watched as Cam rolled a pot joint skillfully and offered it to me. I put it on my lips and he lit it.

"I wish things were that simple." He said, and I knew what he was talking about.

"What did you and Daniel fought about anyway?" I asked, knowing.

He took a drag of his cigarette and shrugged. "Luce."

"You need to get over her, Cam." I said gently, looking at him. "She'll always pick him instead of you."

"Well, I'm trying. You know it's never that simple. I dated exactly fifteen strangers this year and hooked up with at least thirty. I'm not better though, am I?"

"I know what you mean." I looked at him thoughtfully. "Isn't it strange that you understand me better than he does right now?"

"A little. But," he added with a wink, "isn't that how everything begins?"

I hit his shoulder with my fist and he chuckled. We were silent for a while.

"I need your help, Cam." I told him and looked up from the joint.

* * *

Stefan

I opened my eyes and sniffed the air. Arriane was gone and it was snowing. We had been up late last night. When she arrived, we hooked up. And then I fed from her. I wasn't scared of

hurting her anymore.

I knew Elena was in the kitchen with Caroline and Rose, and they were making breakfast. For Bonnie. They were giggling. Damon was out in the backyard. I wasn't sure about what he

was doing. Bonnie was asleep.

I stood up and made my way downstairs. There were two boys asleep on the couch. Elena looked up. She motioned for me to go into the kitchen.

"Who are they?" I asked her softly.

"Arriane's friends." Rose said. "She went out with Cam about an hour ago."

As she said this, I noticed a girl standing next to her. She was blond and she looked a lot like Arriane, only her hair was curly, sort of like Katherine's. She put her hand out to me.

"I'm Gabbe." She smiled. "Arriane told me so much about you."

I smiled. I knew what she was instantly. If I looked closely, I could see the shape of her wings. The boys in the living room had wings as well.

"Really?" I asked. "I didn't think I was interesting enough to talk about."

Rose, Elena and Caroline rolled their eyes at me in sync. I shrugged.

"Well, you must be the real deal. Arriane doesn't date much." Gabbe said, with a shrug.

"Why not?" I asked. "She's pretty."

"Oh, not because guys don't want her." She said. "Because she gets bored with them in, let's see…three days tops. You're lasting."

I raised my eyebrows at this. "Is that good?"

"Yeah, probably. Arriane kind of needs stability. It's not like her last relationship was exactly good for her."

"How long did it last?" I leaned forward, eager to learn more about Arriane.

"About…a year or so. She came to hang out with us once it was over. I can't say Arriane was a mess, because she's never a mess. Arriane is controlled all the time. That's why, when

something bad happens, she falls apart for real." She took a bite of a chocolate cookie. "Because she keeps everything in, and when she can't take it anymore, she breaks, you know?"

I stared at her, drinking it in and thinking of someone I knew that was just like that. Cold, controlled.

"Hey, Stef, come with me to the Grill? I need vervain-free booze." Damon said, coming back into the house through the back door.

Damon. Damon was cold and controlled most of the time. Sarcastic. Merciless. _Could Arriane really be like that?_ I thought as I watched Damon.

"Yeah, sure." I said, and moved to follow him out the door.

"Bye, girls." Damon and I said together. He winked at them, and I rolled my eyes at him.

Then we waved at them and got into our cars.

* * *

Arriane

Cam, Misao and I were sitting at a table in the back of the Grill, discussing ways of breaking the curse. Who we would use for what.

"Okay, so I'm sure we can get Bonnie Bennett to break the spell." Cam was saying.

"Yeah, Bonnie will agree not to tell them anything, if it's for the best." I told him.

"And who will the werewolf be?" Misao asked me.

"Jules. Tyler doesn't need to die. Once the curse is broken, he won't be dangerous anymore." I said.

"And Jules, on the other hand, is a problem." Cam said. "All werewolves are dumb, but Jules is creative and merciless. She's like a vampire, only dumber." He winked. "A lot dumber."

"Right, Cam." I said, turning to him, and smirking. "We all know of your distaste when it comes to Jules. We feel the same way, which is why we choose her."

"So, the vampire." Misao said. "Who did you choose?"

"We wanted to use Klaus." Cam said, looking miserable. "But we couldn't because it was too risky."

"Look, vampires are easy to find." I said. "It could be anyone. They're so easy to find, I bet there's one right here."

I lifted my eyes from Cam's to scan the bar, when, funnily enough, Damon and Stefan crossed the doorway.

"Shit!" I said, and hid under the table. "Act normal. The Salvatores are here."

I could hear Cam and Misao talking and I willed Stefan and Damon into not seeing them. At last, I heard the going out the door and into their cars.

I stood up from under the table slowly, self-conscious. I looked around and then at Cam.

"Okay, so it can't be anyone from here." I said, and started to think of the vampires I knew.

"So, who we don't like or don't care about?" Cam asked me, and it was clear he was thinking too.

"Savannah?" I asked, uncertain. "She was a total bitch."

"Yeah, maybe." Cam said, and bit his lip. "What about Blaise?"

"Yeah, she's annoying." I said, thoughtfully. "So, the one we find first?" I smirked at him.

"Yup." He laughed. "Our game. Should be fun, right?" Cam winked.

"Okay. Let's call Blaise." I said wickedly and got my phone.

I tossed the phone to Cam. He raised his eyebrows at me and put it to his ear.

"Hey, Blaise." He licked his lips, looking excited. "I want to see you tonight."

I smirked at him in approval. Misao was looking back and forth between us.

"I'm in a small town, Mystic Falls. North Carolina. Oh, you're around?" He licked his lips.

I looked at him and we smiled at each other. Things would work out.

"Yes, see you at 4PM. Bye." He flipped my phone shut and winked at me, tossing me my phone.

"Done. Now, go get Katerina." Cam told me. "Blaise will be good to go by sundown."

I dragged Misao out the door and winked at Cam, thinking that he, like Elijah, wasn't what he seemed to be at all.

* * *

Caroline

I was driving to my house with Bonnie. We decided, after a lot of talking, to make the Christmas party at my place, even though most people attending were vampires. Including the hostess,

whose Mom would hunt all her daughter's friends, _and_ her daughter, if she knew what we were.

I parked the car in the garage and Bonnie and I went inside, to find Mom working on the Christmas tree. I gaped.

"Oh, hello, girls." She said and waved. "Would you guys like to help?"

"Sure, Mom." I said and moved to the tree, after recovering.

"I was hoping you would stay here for Christmas this year." Mom said, sounding hopeful.

"Yeah, actually, I was thinking of inviting some friends. If you don't mind, of course."

"Oh, why would I mind?" She said cheerfully. "Just tell me who they are so I can get presents for them."

I gaped happily at her and looked at Bonnie. She seemed surprised.

"Well, it's kind of a big list, Mom." I said, apologetic.

"Shout, sweetie." Mom said, cheerfully.

"Elena, Stefan, Damon, Bonnie, Arriane…um, Rose and Cam…" I trailed off, trying to remember the names of Arriane's friends. "Oh, Daniel, Gabbe and Ash as well."

"Well, that really is a big list." Mom said lightly.

"Look, you don't need to get presents to all of them. I already got most presents. Just need to get…Ash's and Gabbe's and Daniel's, right Bonnie?" I asked and Bonnie turned to me, startled.

"Um…yeah, I guess." Bonnie said, awkwardly.

"Well, you two can get on with that then and I'll finish the tree and dinner." Mom rubbed her jeans.

"Yeah." I said. "I'll take your car. The presents are in the trunk."

"Sure, sweetie." I pushed Bonnie to the door. "Just be careful."

"Always." I said, turning the knob and opening the door to find Elijah standing there.

"What do you want?" I hissed under my breath, pulling Bonnie out, and closing the door before Mom could see him.

"Actually, I wanted to see your friend, Bonnie." He said calmly. "Arriane needs your help to perform a spell. It's an easy spell, shouldn't be too hard."

Bonnie looked up at him and bit her lip.

* * *

Bonnie

I watched him suspiciously, wondering what his game was. Then I sighed as he seemed to be telling the truth. Vampires were being awfully trustable these days.

"Okay. What does she want me to do?" I asked him.

"That I don't know." He said distinctly. "She refused to tell me."

"Why would you do something for her without knowing what it was about?" Caroline asked him fiercely.

"She wants me to. She is a good ally to have." He said. "She wants Bonnie to go alone."

"What?" Caroline almost screamed. I turned to her.

"I'll be fine, Caroline." I said, reassuringly, patting her arm. "They'll protect me."

"But, Bonnie…" She whispered. "I don't trust him."

"He's just the messenger, Caroline." I said. "He's got nothing to do with anything."

After I said that, I turned to Elijah slowly. "Where does she want to meet me?"

"The tomb beneath the church. She needs you soon; she wants to make an agreement with you."

"Right." I said and bit my lip. "Can you give me a ride there?" I glanced at his bike.

"Sure." He followed to his bike and I was going after him when Caroline gripped my arm, pulling me back.

"Are you crazy, Bonnie?" Caroline asked.

"No. I trust Arriane, that's all." I said, pulling away from her grip. "You go get the presents. I'll see you tonight." I followed Elijah to his bike and hopped in, without another glance at Caroline.

He gave me a helmet and started driving.

* * *

Arriane

Katherine was asleep in front of Misao. She was human again. I knew she would be angry the minute she woke up, but this was necessary. Cam was bringing both Blaise and Savannah.

We decided to sacrifice Savannah, not Blaise, because Savannah was younger, and Blaise could be useful.

We would drain every ounce of blood from Katherine's blood, then try to bring her back. That's why we needed Blaise.

As to Jules, we already had her tied up and asleep. Misao had subtly made her come here looking for Mason, after having told Tyler to suggest it. She was tied and would wake up soon. I

couldn't wait.

Then Elijah came in with Bonnie and just stood looking around. I looked at Misao.

"Keep him out." I told her. "Make him forget."

All of a sudden, Elijah just walked out and I heard him turn on his bike. I stood and smiled at Bonnie.

"Hi." I said warmly. "We need to make a deal, Bonnie."

"What do you want from me?" She asked. "Elijah didn't say what it was."

"We need you to break the curse for us." I said and looked somberly at her.


	15. The Christmas Party

Bonnie

I was sitting next to Arriane. She was explaining the agreement to me, step by step.

"If the werewolves break the curse, vampires will remain the way they are, but werewolves will be able to turn whenever they want to, full moon or not." I felt my eyes widening at this.

"So, that would put Caroline and Elena in danger." I said slowly.

"Yes." She said. "And Stefan, Damon, Rose…even Elijah. And I know you don't care about them that much, but if they get bitten, they could kill people, lose control and eventually die,

Bonnie."

"So, if vampires break the curse that means all vampires will walk in the sun without rings. And werewolves would never turn again." I said slowly.

"Yes. And that would keep people alive. You don't know what a vampire in a bloodlust could do to this town. Especially with the council around."

"But you're not a vampire. How can you break the curse properly?" I asked in a whisper.

"We have a vampire willing to help out." Arriane said slowly.

"But…you also need the doppelganger and werewolf and a vampire…and the moonstone..do you have the moonstone?"

"Yes." She reached into her pocket. "I sneaked it out from under Damon's nose this morning. Stefan and I slept in his room last night." She smirked and I couldn't help but to smile.

She was almost human.

"Also, we have werewolf." She nodded in the direction of the wall, where that girl Elena had talked to was tied up. "And Katerina. And our vampire sacrifice is on the way." She smiled.

"Right." I said. "So, what do I need to do?"

* * *

Arriane

Bonnie was standing in front of the ingredients. Katherine was tied up and awake. We had already made our agreement. I wanted to save her and I promised to try.

Jules was tied up and struggling to escape. I was enjoying this and I knew Katherine was too. She kept looking at Jules and smirking.

Savannah was tied up as well, and asleep. Cam and I thought it would be safest for everybody involved if she was asleep, since we couldn't keep her inside the tomb, because Blaise

would be stuck inside with her when it was time to sacrifice her.

"Okay, so who goes first?" Blaise asked.

"Um…the doppelganger." Bonnie said feebly.

"Ready, Kat?" I asked Katherine, moving closer to her.

"Yeah." She said and tried to smile. "I really hope to survive this."

"You will." Blaise said. "I'll make sure."

Blaise, Kat and I smiled at each other. We used to be friends, when the two of them were human, in England. Kat had escaped with her and turned her. And I helped them escape.

I walked away thoughtfully and listened to Bonnie start to chant as Blaise started the sacrifice.

After Kat had used Trevor to turn, I helped her run with Blaise to Bulgaria. She was already working her plan. We were best friends. And I knew everything, all along.

Elijah and I went to New York. We had the time of our lives. And then he was taken away from me by Klaus. Or maybe I pushed him away. It was partly my fault.

Blaise moved on from Katherine to Jules. She started squirm and scream, trying to break free. Cam went to hold her down.

"Cut Savannah's throat and give Katherine some blood." He told me, and tossed me a knife. Bonnie was so focused on the chant, she didn't hear him. And then I realized we were talking

through a mind-link.

I cut Savannah's throat and put the blood into a bowl. I moved to Katherine and cut her free from the ropes. Cam was focused on tricking Bonnie and it seemed like he was struggling. I

focused on it to help him. Together we could manage.

I put the blood into Kat's lips and felt her start to suck. She looked really pale. I knew she was nearly dying. Her color was coming back slowly.

Bonnie looked like she was in a trance, like she was mixing in with the spell. Blaise was done with Jules. She was cutting Savannah's throat and biting her skin, to keep the wound from

closing.

I looked away, sickened. Cam came to my side. "How is she?"

"Seems good. Do you think we have enough blood?"

"Yeah." He said, nodding. "Now we need to spill the blood on the moonstone. We can do this part, along with Bonnie, while Blaise helps Katherine."

"Yeah." I stood up and rubbed my hands in my jeans. "Let's do it."

The next few minutes were horrible. Cam, Bonnie and I had to spill all the blood on the moonstone and as Bonnie and Misao chanted together, the moonstone seemed to suck the blood to

its insides and it started to become red.

After a while, the blood ran out and the moonstone changed. It started to shine red, making everything have a red glow. I looked at Bonnie.

"Is this normal?" I whispered, clutching closer to Cam.

"Yes. Here says that now the werewolf used to the spell will change into its form and then die, making this the last werewolf to turn. The same would happen if a werewolf broke the

curse, only it would be with a vampire."

A piercing sound interrupted Bonnie's explanation. Slowly, it turned into a howl and Jules started to grow furry, howling all the while. I pulled my hands over my ears, and watched as

Bonnie and Misao did the same. Katherine clutched Blaise closer to her, flinching.

The howling went on for five minutes and slowly, Jules came back to normal. Her body became human and she breathed once then died, turning grayish and dead-looking.

I pulled my hands away from my ears slowly and looked around, half expecting something to happen. Nothing did. Everything was quiet.

We stood up simultaneously and looked around again. It was over. We just looked around.

All of a sudden, I giggled. And then Kat and Blaise did too. Cam was looking at the three of us as if we were nuts, until Bonnie and Misao started giggling too.

"If you want to spend Christmas with Stefan, I suggest you stop acting like a freak before I send you to a mental hospital, Arriane." Cam said. I stopped giggling.

"Oh, my God! We're late!" I screamed and grabbed Cam and Bonnie by their shirts, dragging them out. "Go spend the night at Mrs. Flowers and we'll see you two tomorrow!" I shouted to

Kat and Blaise, already running through the woods.

"Cam, we have to fly. No time to go walking." I told him and my wings unfurled.

"Yeah." He pulled Bonnie to his back and she gasped. "Ready for a ride?"

I giggled as Cam winked at me and Bonnie gasped.

I pulled closer to her and patted her hand. "Don't worry, he won't drop you."

I smirked and looked up. The sky was beautiful. There were stars everywhere. So beautiful.

We landed in front of Caroline's doorstep and Cam set Bonnie to her feet, as I rang the doorbell.

* * *

Caroline

The doorbell rang as we were talking in the kitchen and laughing, preparing dinner, while Damon, Stefan, Daniel and Ash played video game in the living room.

"I'll get it!" I shouted and ran through the hallway. Bonnie was late.

I threw the door open to find Cam, Arriane and Bonnie standing in the doorway. I smiled at them and threw myself at Bonnie.

"I was so worried! What happened?" I asked, motioning for them to come in.

"Everything went fine, Caroline." Bonnie looked at me and lowered her voice. "Bring Stefan and Damon. We have some good news."

* * *

Arriane

I waited expectantly for them and heard Cam close the door. I smiled when I saw Stefan. He looked beautiful. He smiled back at me, his green eyes glowing and warm.

"So, we broke the curse." I said to them softly and then Stefan pulled me into his arms, and spun me around and around as I giggled.

"What?" Rose shouted, coming in from the kitchen with Elena and Gabbe. She laughed.

"Yes, we broke the curse!" Bonnie said from my side, jumping up and down. "We really did it!"

She threw her arms around Elena, Caroline and Rose, nearly knocking them down.

Stefan set me on my feet and we kissed as Daniel and Ash came out of the living room and Caroline's mom, the sheriff, came out of the kitchen, smiling at us like we were crazy.

Then Caroline went to hug her, bouncing up and down.

"Oh, Mom, this is the best Christmas ever!" She shouted, still bouncing.

"Well, thank you, Caroline." She said, patting Caroline's arm. "Considering we didn't exchange presents yet, I'm glad you think so." She laughed.

"Oh, Mom, everything's so perfect!" Caroline said, and we laughed.

Damon was asking Bonnie and Cam how it went, as Caroline's mom went back to the kitchen.

And then I felt something, a chill. I could feel a mind. Someone was miserable. I looked at the window and there he was, looking straight at me.

* * *

Elijah

I could see her with him through the window. She was happy. I could feel that. She looked beautiful as well. They were celebrating the fact that the curse was broken.

"_Yes, we broke the curse!_" Bonnie shouted and hugged Rose, Elena and Caroline at once. "_We really di__d it!_"

And everyone looked happy and perfect as if that was everything they needed. I wish I could share that feeling. Happiness. The last time I felt that was so long ago, it felt like it never

happened.

Arriane and me in New York. That was a time when I was truly happy, instead of just feeling pleasure, like I did most of the time.

Or back when I could actually feel things, when I was young. I wasn't anymore.

And then she looked at me. She was looking straight at me.

And then she turned to Stefan and said something about swinging by at the boardinghouse to get her presents. Cam switched a quick look with Arriane and one glance at the window and

they nodded at each other and she nodded at me and went out the door. I just disappeared in flash toward the boardinghouse.

* * *

Arriane

I was standing in the front porch, holding my Christmas presents. And then I saw Elijah and in a flash he was standing in front of me.

"Hi." I said softly, looking up at him and trying to smile.

"Hi." He said faintly. I knew I was wearing him down.

"I bought you this." I said, and pulled his Christmas present from my bag.

He didn't reach for it. "Don't know why you bother with that."

"Because I care about you. You can't think that just because we're not together I don't care about you. I do care about you." I told him.

"What do you feel for me, Arriane?" Elijah stepped closer to me and took my face in his hands carefully.

"What?" I gasped, surprised because he touched me. "I…"

"What do you want?" He asked.

"I don't know. Why can't you just be my friend? I can't be with you now. I can't be with you. You have to understand." I took his hands from my face and just held them. "Don't do this to

me.

Don't make me choose between both of you."

"Why?" He asked me.

"Because I'll choose him, Elijah." I said and I could feel the tears filling my eyes. "I love you, but I can't. I can't do this. You know I can't."

"But we were real. I loved you. I love you." He said, and took my face between his hands again.

"No…please, Elijah, I can't…" He leaned in and kissed me. I was already hitting him to pull him away, but when I felt him, his lips and his yearning, I couldn't. And that was what I was

scared of.

He pulled me on top of the fence of the porch and kissed me harder. I knew I had to stop, but he kept kissing me. Harder and harder.

"No, I can't do this." I said and pushed him lightly away, and pulled his present between his fingers and ran to the field, unfurling my wings and flying away.

I watched as he threw the present away from him and I tried not to cry.

All I wanted was that he accepted what we had to be. But he couldn't and I couldn't resist him.

That meant we had to be away from each other.

* * *

Stefan

Arriane came in and went to put her presents under the tree. We were playing twister in the living room. It was Caroline's idea, obviously. I was stuck between Caroline, Rose and Damon.

I could barely see anyone else but them.

Arriane came closer to us and laughed. We tried to look up at her.

"You guys look so pathetic." She said and her face light up with an idea. "I have to get a picture."

She ran to her bag across the room and got a camera. She came back, smiling.

"Arriane, I'll throw your camera out if you take this picture." Damon threatened, trying to get out.

We were so twisted there was no way we would manage to escape in time.

She clicked the button and jumped, clapping her hands and laughing.

"Oh, my God, you guys look so cute!" She said and then Damon got out.

"Oh, you'll give me that." Damon started running after her as we tried to get out.

"No, Damon!" She ran, giggling when he started tickling her. And then he grabbed the camera.

"Um, we actually look good, Stef." He said and winked. "Let's hang this at the boardinghouse."

He tossed the camera to me, and I looked. "Yeah, good idea, Damon."

I handed the camera to Arriane and Liz came in from the kitchen.

"Okay, let's exchange presents. Dinner's ready and Caroline must be pining to start."

"Yay!" Caroline jumped, clapping. "Mom, can I start, please? Please?"

"Of course, sweetie." Liz said and smiled proudly at Caroline.

"Yay." She said, getting the first present from a huge pile under the tree.

"Okay, so this is for you, Stefan. I hope you like it; I took ages to find it."

She handed me a present with a perfect wrap. And a card. I opened it slowly.

"Wow. A camera. Interesting." I turned it around. It seemed like an old camera. I liked it, though.

"It took me centuries to find. But, like I'm a good friend, and I know you love this old fashioned stuff, I bought it for you." She smirked. "It matches your room so, so well."

"Thanks, Caroline." I said, and grabbed her present from the tree.

"Is this for me?" She guessed, looking sideways at me.

"Yes." I said, and smiled, pulling the present into her hands. "Open it."

"Oh, my God." She said. "Is this…a makeup storage device? In pink?"

Elena, Gabbe, Bonnie and Arriane stepped closer to take a look.

"Oh, my God, this is beautiful…" Elena whispered, taking a peek.

"Mom, come take a look." Caroline called.

"This is so beautiful." Liz said, looking at it. "I love it."

And then Caroline wrapped her arms around me. "Thanks, Stefan, its perfect." She smiled.

And things went on. Arriane gave me a black sweater that she had done for me. I loved it already.

_I have another surprise for you later._ I heard her thought in my mind.

She gave Damon a glass set. In case he got pissed off and decided to break all of them, as she said. And they laughed.

I gave Elena a necklace. A pretty black necklace that was just like Katherine's only more delicate, in silver. She loved it and gave me a special pen she had bought in a trip to Italy with her

Mom and Dad and had never used.

"Thanks, Stefan." She smiled warmly at me. "And I'm sorry. You know, about what I did that day."

"Don't worry about it. It's totally cool." I told her and smiled.

"Have you been drinking?" She asked, narrowing her eyes at me.

"A bit." I said and we laughed.

And we switched presents and everything went fine. I guess I expected something to ruin everything, but surprisingly, nothing did. Things were fine.

After Caroline's mom went to bed, we prepared to sneak out. We were going to transfer the party to Cam's place.

We went in separate cars and we got there around midnight. And we put on bathing suits and jumped in the pool. It was warm.

Cam had heated it earlier today, so Bonnie could swim with us. He and Arriane went to pick some CDs to put on the stereo as we jumped in the pool.

Gabbe brought us some cocktails and jumped in the pool. And we danced and drank all night.

At some point, 5AM maybe, we went to the guest rooms to sleep it off. Arriane and I went into the room next to Cam's.

We lay in the big bed and she turned to me as I started playing with a lock of her hair.

"I love you." I told her, looking into her eyes.

"And I love you." She said, and touched my nose with her finger then kissed me. I laughed. Then we just cuddled and fell asleep.


	16. Coming to Terms

**I loved this chapter. It's one of my favorites. I love Katherine and this episode is more Damon&Katherine and Elijah&Arriane bonding in friendship. I really liked writing it. Hope you **

**guys enjoy it too!**

* * *

Arriane

I stood up and looked at Stefan suspiciously, expecting him to wake up. He twitched but didn't wake up. I went downstairs, knowing Cam was already up.

He was smoking a joint and dressed in his black best. I grinned.

"This is not Sword & Cross, Cam." I tugged at the collar of his sweater. "You could try something more colorful, babe."

"Look who's talking." He said, grabbing my hand and spinning me in a circle to look at my outfit. All black, like him. "Here; take these." He gave me a red scarf and wrapped a blue one

around his own neck.

"Hum." I pretended to sniff him. "Cute."

"Shut up and let's go." He said and pushed me to the door, touching my shoulders gently.

"Going somewhere?" Damon asked, walking down the stairs carelessly and smirking.

"Ugh…" I said, turning around and rolling my eyes at him.

_Always butting in when you shouldn't, right Damon? _I thought to him with annoyance. He just smirked.

"Cam, you can go ahead and I'll set things up with Damon." I told Cam over my shoulder and watched him walk out, looking over at me. I nodded briefly at him and found Damon's steady

gaze on me.

_What games are you playing? _He asked me, his eyes narrowing.

I walked up the stairs and reached to his shirt to close it. _Come with us._

He gave me a quizzical, searching look. _Just explain here._

_Not safe, _I told him. _Someone might be listening._

_What? Who?_ He asked.

_I can't explain. Let's go, we don't have much time. The plane's leaving in an hour._

I dragged him out the front door without letting him utter a sound. I shoved him into the back seat and hopped in.

"Come on, Cam. We don't have too long." I told him and started closing the other buttons on Damon's shirt.

* * *

Damon

I was sitting next to Arriane in her convertible…or maybe it was Cam's? They all looked the same to me. I shrugged and she looked at me.

_You're shrugging. _She whispered, her eyes searching my face. Her tone implied that she thought it was cute. _What are you thinking about?_

_Your car.__ They're all the same, right_? _Yours, Cam's, Ash's…_

_Yes. But it's just coincidence. Don't over think it. Doesn't really mean anything._ She looked up at me, frowning.

_Can I ask you something? _I asked her finally, after a few minutes of silence.

_Okay. Just…do__n't tell anyone. I know what you want to know. _She said wearily.

_Someone's been reading my mind…_I said softly, watching her face. She was worn out. Not like that day, when she got sick. Just tired. There were deep circles under her eyes and her

makeup was smudged.

_We're going to see Katherine. She's leaving today._ She looked sideways at me and I gaped.

_What? That's not what I wanted to know. _

_Okay. _A pause as she looked wearily at me. _What do you want to know?_

_Your thing with Elijah…and Katherine. I thought you said the curse was broken._

_It is. Here, let me show you. _I felt her fingers on my hand, on my ring and I was so struck, I didn't try to stop her. She pulled the ring out.

And nothing happened. I guess I looked frightened because she laughed.

_Se__e?_ She smirked. _You don't need that old thing anymore._

_Thank you for the update. _I said sarcastically. _You can give me my ring back now._

_Whatever. _She said and I smirked.

_Now, what is up with you and Elijah? The two of you were together yesterday and I kno__w it._

_I…_ She gasped and suddenly she looked sad. I peeked at her.

_Stefan might be oblivious to what's going on, but I'm not. _I said softly. _And he's my brother. I never did the right thing for him. I'm not mad; I'm just trying to understand._

She looked at me and I could see tears in her eyes.

_Just…we were together for a while. _She paused. _It's a long story. I'll tell you later, once Kat is gone._

As if on cue, Cam parked and Arriane hopped out, motioning for me to follow her into the airport.

It wasn't crowded. It was almost empty and I spotted Katherine right away. And…she was human. I gaped.

Arriane and Cam walked to them and Katherine and Arriane looked at each other and suddenly the story Katherine told made sense.

Arriane and Elijah were supposed to capture Katherine for Klaus. What no one knew was that Arriane was Katherine's friend. She helped Katherine escape and gave her the moonstone.

I looked up at them and gaped, bewildered. Then I moved slowly to them and Katherine's eyes fell on me. I felt a pang of hunger once I felt the smell of her skin. I tried to push it out of my

mind.

I grinned at her coldly and expected her eyes to get that look she had when she wanted something. They didn't. Her resemblance to Elena was almost uncanny now.

Even though they looked the same, I could always tell the difference. Elena looked at everything with curious innocence. Katherine looked at everything with hunting eyes.

Right now Katherine was looking at me curiously, taking little peeks at my face, as if she were ashamed of herself. She glanced at Arriane and swallowed.

"He's only here because he doesn't know how to mind his own business." Arriane said and frowned at me.

I smirked absent-mindedly, watching Katherine curiously as she kept peeking at my face.

After a while of staring at each other, I realized she was frightened of me. At last, she swallowed and said, evenly "Damon. You came."

She sounded surprised and suspicious of my presence. I watched her wearily.

"It's nice to see you again, Katherine." I meant for it to come out sarcastic, but it wasn't any louder than a whisper. I still felt something for her, despite everything she had done.

_You idiot, she doesn't give a damn about you. _I thought angrily to myself. _And you have Elena. What the hell are you doing __here?_

"Can we talk for a second?" I started as Katherine whispered softly to me.

"Yeah, sure." I mumbled and followed her to a corner near the bathroom.

"I just wanted to apologize for everything. I was caught up, and I couldn't even see you."

I looked up at her and I could feel my eyes growing huge.

"I couldn't see you and I couldn't see Stefan. And I'm so sorry." She sighed and her eyes filled up with tears. "It was all my fault."

My eyes grew even bigger and I knew I looked like a child because my eyes were filling up with tears. I stared at her helplessly.

* * *

Elena

I opened my eyes and looked around. Damon wasn't here. Arriane wasn't here. Cam wasn't here either. I groaned and stood up.

Stefan was in the living room. Pacing around the room. I made my way downstairs and smirked.

"Maybe you should get something better to do." I said, grinning at him.

He smiled. "Morning to you, too." Stefan said and went on pacing.

"May I ask what you're doing?" I asked pinching his arm.

"I'm thinking." He said simply. I rolled my eyes.

"About what?" I asked, energetic. He sighed.

"Nothing, Elena. I'm bored, that's all." He looked annoyed. I pouted.

"Um." I shrugged and studied him. "Maybe we could make breakfast, right?"

I walked to the kitchen and opened the cupboards. I got a pop tart and took a bite.

"Santa definitely came here last night." I said and heard Stefan laugh.

* * *

Katherine

Damon was sitting next to me on a comfy couch in the airport's lobby. The airplane was late for some reason. Blaise explained it, but I didn't pay attention to it.

Damon looked miserable and upset. I looked up at him and reached to brush his fingers.

"I'm sorry." I said softly. "It's all wrong. You weren't supposed to be here and I wasn't ready for you."

"I'll try to send you a notification next time." He said sarcastically, cracking a smile. I smirked.

"You're fun." I told him, grinning.

"Thank you." He said and there was no sarcastic edge to his voice. Just acceptance.

"You're welcome." I whispered and we just stared at each other.

We remained silent for a while, just staring at each other. Then he stood up.

"Let me get you some breakfast." He said and pulled his hand out to help me stand.

I took his hand and smiled, feeling ashamed of myself for what I had done to him.

And then he smiled and led me to a café and ordered me a Belgian waffle with milk.

Damon just watched me as I ate and we gazed at each other all the while.

* * *

Arriane

I smirked at Katherine and Damon through the glass wall. Cam and I were standing outside, distracted. The airplane was late for some reason.

Blaise was inside, trying to make the flight happen faster. She was the only one trying. The rest of us were so distracted we didn't do anything at all.

Then my head snapped up as I saw Elijah walking calmly to me and I watched as Damon's head snapped up as well and he gave me an incredulous glance. In flash he was next to me,

pulling me behind him.

"Damon, it's okay." I said and turned to look at him, my fingers on his waist. "I have to deal with it, sooner or later, right?"

His blue eyes turned soft and I turned to study Elijah's face. I could tell right away that something was wrong. Blaise was next to Katherine to keep her from coming out here.

"I'll be fine." I told him. "Go back inside, please."

Damon watched me for a few seconds and then he and Cam went into the airport to stand next to Katherine and Blaise.

I tugged at Elijah's shirt cuff and pulled him closer to me and into a place where they couldn't see us. I was going to ask him if he was okay, when I started at his proximity.

Elijah was standing really close to me and I looked up at him. I touched his waist gently.

"You've been drinking." I whispered to him. A statement, not a question. He just shrugged.

"Are you okay?" I asked him at last.

"Fine." He said carelessly. "More or less. I need a drink."

Elijah started to make his way to the airport when I stopped him in his tracks.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked him.

"Because there's nothing else. You don't want me, you want him. You made your choice, so why should you care?"

"I don't know why, but I care. And despite everything, I do want you. I can't help myself."

"Then why won't you just be with me?" He asked, and I could feel his yearning. I tried to keep myself from touching him. I wanted to.

"Because…I want you both. But I _can't_ be the one to cheat. I just can't." I told him, and felt his fingers on my cheek. I leaned against his hand and closed my eyes.

"I won't do this to you until you're ready." He said softly. "Can you be my friend?"

I pulled away from his fingers and looked at him. "Yes. That's good. For now."

"I agree." Elijah said. "Our relationship wasn't healthy."

"You're right." I told him. "I lied to you, and you lied to me and we played each other. It was fun, but not healthy."

"Then maybe we should start over. As friends…and," he added, no louder than a whisper "tell Stefan, otherwise the ears on us will." He looked around as if there was something there and

then laughed.

I laughed with him and took his hand. "Friends?" He asked me.

"Friends." I said and squeezed his fingers. "Now, let's get you back to sober."

I pushed him back to the airport and caught Damon's eyes on us. He looked concerned. Not suspicious. _Everything is fine, _I told him. _Things are in the right place now._

_I'm not sure I am. _He said and I followed his gaze to Katherine.

_You have to be. Because she won't be here. _I told him.

_I know. _He was miserable.

_It's too dangerous, Damon, and we can't risk it. As long as she's young, she can't protect herself._

_I know. _He repeated. _I'll be fine. And now it's time for you to say goodbye. The plane__'__s leaving._

He smiled painfully at me and I walked to Katherine and Elijah followed me.

Katherine flinched away from him into Blaise.

"It's okay, Kat. He's not here for you." I told her.

"It's nice to see you again, Katerina." Elijah said. "Thank you for risking yourself to break the curse."

Katherine attempted to smile at him. "You're welcome."

"I'll miss you." I told her after she stared at Elijah wide-eyed for a while.

"Maybe you can come visit me." She said wistfully and I smiled.

"I'll try." I said. "There's still some things I need to fix." I glanced at Elijah and she nodded.

"Okay. Just try to call me." She said and took my hand. "I want to be updated. We spent too long without contact."

"Okay." I said, staring her out. "You're really strange as a human, Kat."

"I know." She said and bit her lip, then smiled. "I don't function correctly with my switch off."

"You'll have your switch back quickly." Blaise said impatiently. "And the plane's leaving. Don't you think we already waited long enough?"

"Yes, you guys should go, Kat." I said quickly and pulled her in for a hug. "Just be careful, okay?"

"I will." Katherine said softly. "Anyway, don't you forget to call me…"

Blaise was pulling her away as she waved at us. I was standing between Elijah and Damon and they were both watching her go.

Elijah was expressionless and Damon looked glum. Then Cam came around the corner and winked.

"Where were you?" I asked him.

"Um…the bathroom?" He looked at me like I was crazy.

"For one hour?" I asked.

"Let's just say I was being a donor for Blaise." Cam said nonchalantly.

I rolled my eyes at him. _Whatever, Cam._

_Someone's in a good mood. _He said. _You and Elijah came to terms, I take it__?_

We were walking out to the car and Damon went to the front next to Cam and Elijah sat next to me in the backseat.

_Sort of. _I felt a wave of panic as I thought of something.

_And now I have to tell Stefan about him. He doesn't know anything._

_Don't worry. He won't leave you because of that. _Cam said and he seemed like he truly believed that. _He loves you and it takes more than that._

Cam just went on driving and I was yearning to see Stefan.

I looked around expectantly and pinched Cam's shoulder.

"Come on, Cam, I want to get home. I want to party."

He sped up and I pulled back in my seat as Cam turned the stereo on. I glanced at Elijah.

He looked at me and smiled and I knew things were getting better. We really were coming to terms.

I smiled back at him and relaxed, thinking that we really would be okay now.


	17. The Right Places

Elena

Stefan and I were sitting in the couch in absolute boredom when Caroline came down stairs. She looked disoriented and dreamy and her hair was an absolute mess. I laughed.

She gazed at me dreamily. "What are you laughing about?"

"Your hair is a mess, Caroline." Stefan said with a serious face.

"Oh." She said and touched her hair. "Well, I guess Cam did that…or maybe Ash."

Caroline shrugged and sighed then looked around. "Where is he anyway?"

"I guess we need to get you some coffee, Caroline." Stefan stood up and pushed Caroline to the kitchen then glanced at me. "Coming?"

"Yeah, whatever." I said and followed them into the kitchen. I wanted Damon. Where the hell was he?

"Oh!" I said when I felt a huge load of flour fall on my face and my hair. I looked at Caroline.

"Oh, you're so dead." I said and ran to get her as she giggled. Stefan tried to get hold of me.

"Elena…Elena." I tickled him and he laughed, letting go.

We were all white by now probably. Caroline had flour all over her hair and even her eyelashes. I giggled, just watching her and she threw a lot more on my hair.

"Guys, come on…" Stefan said breathlessly, trying to plead with us. "Let's clean this up…"

Right then Caroline threw a massive load on Stefan and he stopped in his tracks.

"I'm coming for you." He told her and grabbed hold of her waist and started tickling as she started screaming loudly. I tried to throw more into both of them when Stefan grabbed me. I

shouted.

"NO!" I giggled. "No, Stefan! Please let me go!"

"What the hell?" Rose shouted watching us like a Mom complaining on her children's mess.

Ash, Gabbe, Daniel and Bonnie were standing right behind her. Caroline giggled and then pouted.

"Okay, _Mom._" She said sarcastically and Stefan laughed.

Then everything went crazy. Rose was throwing flour on Caroline and Stefan was throwing flour on her, as I threw some at Daniel and Ash and accidently hit Gabbe, who threw on me and

in a second, the kitchen was a total mess.

I was vaguely aware that Cam would be so pissed, but I couldn't care less about that. I was having a wild time.

* * *

Arriane

I could feel Stefan's mind now. He was having fun. I laughed and hopped out of the car the minute Cam parked.

"I think they're having a party." I told Damon and winked at him, running inside.

I could barely see anything. Everywhere around was white and then I realized what it was. Flour.

There were giggles from Caroline, Rose, Gabbe, Bonnie and Elena and grunts from the boys.

I gasped when flour landed straight on my head and looked around. Ash was grinning at me.

I ran to him and we started fighting each other on the floor and laughing. Stefan and Rose were in a match nearby while Caroline and Daniel kept throwing flour on each other dumbly and

laughing.

Then we all stopped and looked at Cam, struck by the way he was looking at us.

"I'm sorry." I said and I knew my voice didn't sound sorry at all.

The silence went on and then Cam laughed. "I don't mind a good party." He said.

"Let's just hope Mom and Dad get late coming back today." He winked.

Then he tucked Bonnie under his arms and they laughed, getting in the game.

We laughed in relief as Damon and Elijah came to play with us. I gazed happily around me.

At some point, we quieted down and I was in Stefan's arms. I gazed at him and we smiled at each other.

He kissed me and I grimaced. "You have flour all over you." I told him, wiping some out of his cheek.

"So do you," He said I felt his fingers on my hair and laughed, leaning against him.

I looked around. Damon was lying next to Elena on the couch and they were gazing at each other dreamily.

Cam was kissing Rose on the other side of the couch, while Caroline and Ash were snuggling. Daniel and Gabbe were talking to Bonnie in the corner and Elijah was looking dreamy and

really out of it. At last, his eyes fell on me.

_I think this could work. _He said. _Your friends are really a wild party._

_I want this to work, _I told him and gazed at him thoughtfully.

_It will. _He told me and I smiled.

_I love you. _I thought to him and Stefan.

They looked at me simultaneously. _I love you too,_ they said.

And somehow, everything was in its place. I had never felt so complete. I was happy.

We really were coming to terms at last. All of us.

I smiled at life in general. Everything was in its place. Klaus was dead, the curse was broken, Kat was safe. I had the ones I truly loved in their places.

Maybe not their right places, but in better places, I thought, looking at Elijah. He gazed back at me and smiled, winking.

I smiled, leaning against Stefan and closing my eyes.

* * *

**So this is the last chapter of this fic, but I intend on making other fics out of this one. Maybe you guys could say who you guys want to see. Maybe Elijah&Arriane? Caroline&Ash?**

**Just review or PM**** me**** with your suggestions. Bye! **


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